The Family
by Vera Roberts
Summary: Formerly Dracula. She had given up on family until he introduced her to his. Can the human and supernatural coexist together? Batista, Trish, Taker, London, Nitro, Edge. Cameos by Stephanie, Rock, Mickie, Jeff,Randy,other WWE stars.
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: Yeah, I have like 3 other stories up but I promise to get to those. I'm going to spend most of the weekend updating. _

_This story was done on request by Aspiring Actress. I haven't decided who's going to play Dracula but I think we all can figure out who it's going to be, lol. _

_This story will contain mature subject matter including, but not limited to: violence to women, supernatural themes, possible drug use, and sexual content. _

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She was in ecstasy. _My god, he's an animal! _Her body rose off the bed as he spread her legs further apart. His tongue delved deeper into her core, sending her higher than she's ever felt.

Christy Hemme was out with her girlfriends at the bar when a tall and dark man approached them. He offered to buy her and her friends drinks and of course, they didn't refuse. The women surrounded him, wanting to get to know the mystery man. He was charming, intelligent, and beautiful. He had a smile that drew women in. His charm was infectious. And his body was begging to be explored on a nightly basis.

He immediately took a liking to Christy. She was cute, spunky, and had a lot of energy to burn. _Good, I like that. It'll come in handy later. _ Soon, the pair were inseparable and never left each other's side throughout the night. Deciding that it has been way too long since she's had sex and her man of choice was a nice cool drink on a summer day, Christy readily accepted his self-invite back to her place.

And boy was she glad she let him in. In every imaginable position.

He was muscular, he was incredible and the way his tongue moved made her feel that her body was made just for him. He moved inside her with such voracity yet he was gentle. He challenged her to try new things and say dirty words and she stood up to the plate. She never felt so alive and emotional in any of her sexual experiences. And her lover that night made her feel like she was on top of the world.

For the second time that night, he was generous with his tongue and dived into her heat yet again. She thought she was too sore to accommodate him, but no wasn't an answer. Pulling her thighs closer to his face, he parted her folds and pleasured her again. While he loved to pleasure women, he also had a serious ulterior motive this night.

Just when Christy was about to climax, his fangs appeared and he sunk them into her right thigh, draining her life. As Christy screamed in pleasure, she didn't notice that she was slowly dying.

Her screams turned into breathless sighs and then she was quiet. Feeling her warm body and her pulse was nonexistent, he knew he was done with his prey. He covered her up with the sheets and closed her eyes. _An angel. Perfect for heaven. _He finished getting dressed and made sure there were no blood stains on his face.

He turned around and stared at her one last time. She wasn't the first nor would she be the last.


	2. Angel in Disguise

_Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews and the interest! It's my first supernatural story so please bear with me. I'm doing a lot of research on vampires and the like._

_And for any of you thinking this story is going to be nothing but sex scenes…sorry. The first chapter will be one out of two…maybe three. And yes, they'll be spaced very far apart. This story will be based more on the supernatural and how humans interact with each other than sex scenes. Like I've said, there's more to a good story than smut. And if that's all you read and look forward to….well, that's just sad. _

_Enough babbling, here's the chapter! _

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Her long, blonde hair swayed as she tossed bottles and poured beers. She had all 100 beers memorized and could recommended one by flavor, texture, taste, and color. She was known to make the best Hurricanes in all of the city.

She was the most popular bartender not because of her sexy demeanor and kick-ass smile. She was also funny, coming up with a new turn-down for every male patron that flirted with her. Rumors flew that she was gay, to which she always replied with, 'Whatever, you'll still want to hit this.'

And everyone knew she was right.

Standing just a little over five feet tall with a killer body and breasts that seemed too perfect to be real, Trish Stratus had it going on. Saving up money to afford real estate school and having a career for a change, Trish was too focused serving up Cape Cods and margaritas to notice her manager boring holes through her body. "What do you want, Orton?"

"Good evening to you, Stratus." Randy smirked.

A young business entrepreneur at 25, Randy opened up The Wood with every intention of the title being a double entendre. Brash, cocky, and arrogant were understatements describing Randy Orton.

He was incredibly gorgeous with baby blue eyes, tanned skin and an undeniable swagger that commanded one's attention. He often held wet T-shirt and amateur night stripper contests. And there was never a doubt that by the end of the night, some drunken lush was going to get the Orton experience—and be forgotten about the next day.

And it was no secret that Randy had his eyes set on Trish. At first, his goal was to conquer her. With several female bartenders submitting to Randy, it was only a matter of time before Trish dropped to her knees and serviced him as well.

And he's been waiting for a year.

"What is it, Orton? I'm working." Trish said as she poured more beers.

Randy folded his arms. "I'm just checking to see how you're doing."

"I'm doing just fine, Orton."

Randy eyed Trish's figure. "I see that."

Trish rolled her eyes. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, nothing." He said. "Oh, by the way, can you work on Saturday night?"

Trish grabbed money off the counter and quickly wiped it down as she shook her head. Randy making her work six days a week was not an accident. It was an overworked form of sexual harassment. She would complain but her tips were helping her pay for tuition. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really. So I'll see you at six?" He grinned.

"Yeah, sure." She replied.

"Oh and Stratus?" He asked.

"What?"

"Smile for me, Sugar." He grinned.

Trish whipped her head towards Randy. She leaned down, stuck her middle finger in her mouth and sucked on it. "Better?"

Randy had to go back to his office before he ran into someone with his erection.

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Closing up The Wood at three in the morning, Trish counted her tips. _Three hundred dollars. Not bad, Stratus. Now I can actually afford two books this semester. _She wiped the counter again and grabbed her helmet. Walking towards the parking lot, she had one hand on her gun and one on her helmet.

"One day you're going to shoot yourself with that." Randy commented as started his BMW.

"I hope it's you." Trish smiled.

"So mean to me, Stratus." He shook his head.

Trish got on her Fat Boy Harley-Davidson. "Because you deserve it, Orton." She then put her helmet on.

"Why ride a bike when you can ride…"

Trish pointed the gun towards Randy. "It's loaded, Orton. I will use it on you."

"Night, Stratus." Randy then sped off.

Trish watched as Randy hurriedly left the parking lot. _Thanks for watching me get home safely, jackass. _She then tried to start her bike. _Oh shit, not now, baby. _She tried to start it again. After a few attempts, she concluded that her bike was dead. _Fuck!_

Taking off her helmet and getting out her cell phone to call her roommate, Trish was interrupted by a stranger who appeared out of nowhere. "Need help?" He asked.

Trish turned and was startled to see a muscular man wearing a dark coat standing just a few feet beside her. "I got it." She said sternly.

"Doesn't seem like you got it." He replied.

"Look, if you think you're going to pull any shit on me, I carry a gun on me." She replied.

"Um, okay…" The stranger said as he began to examine the bike.

"I do." Trish then pulled out a Smith and Wesson and clocked it. "See?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" The stranger said. "I believe you. Can you please put the gun away?"

Trish shook her head. "No. This is my guarantee that you're not going to be stupid."

The strange nodded. "Fine. Keep the gun on me. Just don't shoot."

As the stranger was working on her bike, Trish started to notice him a little. She has seen all the locals from her years of being a bartender, but she's never seen this particular person before. But he didn't look like he was from out of town or a new resident, neither.

Not to mention he was easy on the eyes. Even with a little elbow grease, he was a wonderful specimen to admire. After a few minutes working, the stranger started up Trish's bike. "All set and ready to go."

Trish put the gun to her side. "What? That's impossible! The engine was dead! How did you do that?"

"I just did." He smiled.

_Damn, that's a beautiful smile. _"Um, thank you."

The stranger walked up to Trish and caressed her face. "You're welcome."

Caught up in the moment, Trish closed her eyes waiting for a kiss from a wonderful stranger. She lost all coherent thought and almost dropped her loaded gun. But as a few seconds progressed to several, Trish opened her eyes.

Her stranger was gone. He practically vanished into thin air. And that was when Trish knew something was amiss. She shook her head and put her helmet back on. _I need to stop working so much damn overtime. _


	3. Introducing Dracula

Taker walked inside the palatial Victorian home, fulfilling his task. He helped fix her bike and sent her off. He knew he could've easily killed her and he would be lying if the thought didn't enter his mind. Luckily for her, he just had a satisfying meal of twins right before he encountered Trish.

Slowly walking upstairs, he made a brief check on the apprentices, Nitro and London. Nitro was firmly bear-hugged by his vampire girlfriend, Melina. The mentors personally couldn't stand her; they always thought she was just a little too talkative for their tastes. But it didn't matter to Nitro. _Boy is a sick puppy on a leash._

And then there was London—the porn king. He had wall-to-wall covering of the various shapes, sizes, and colors of the female form. He had a DVD player that ran porn 24 hours a day. No one could quite understand what London's fascination was for he had no trouble acquiring dates and victims alike. _But some people just can't be figured out_.

Finally, the mentor headed to the master bedroom. He smirked and shook his head as he saw his protégé sleeping in a bed. _A bed? What does he think he is? Human? _The man sat down on the bed and stared at the man who he has mentored and trained for the past 200 years.

Maybe he trained him a little too well. The protégé knew his presence like it was second skin and immediately woke up. He just barely went to bed an hour before. "What is it?" The man asked, cracking his eyes slightly.

"I found someone for you." Taker replied.

"Nice. Where is she?"

"I don't know, I sent her home."

The protégé stared at Taker in amazement. "You woke me up at four in the morning just to tell me that you found someone for me but you didn't bring her to me?"

"Pretty much." He looked down at his protégé. "You really need to get some sleep. You look horrible."

The protégé stared at his mentor. "How about that?"

Taker got up and adjusted his clothing. "My job is done here. I just came to inform you."

"Thanks."

Taker turned around one last time. "You should really get some sleep, man."

"I got it."

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Meanwhile, across town, Trish was still reeling from her encounter with a mystery stranger. She swore he saw him. He fixed her bike. She threatened him with her gun and he practically begged her not to kill him. And yet, he disappeared into thin air. _What the hell? _

Once she entered her apartment, she made a bee-line for her roommate's room. Stacy Parks was friends with Trish for the past five years and they were practically joined at the hip. They worked different schedules but hung out with each other as much they could. Stacy was also a student, studying in Communication studies. She was fascinated with celebrities but never desired to become one.

"Stace….Stace…" Trish shook her violently. "Wake up! Wake up!"

"What? What? Are we being robbed?" Stacy inquired.

"No! But…"

"Is the house on fire?"

"No, but listen to me…"

"Good night, Trisha."

Trish once again shook Stacy again. "Woman, I'm going to hurt you if you don't let me sleep." Stacy warned.

"I was touched by an angel." She blurted.

Stacy turned on her light and adjusted her vision. There was a slight panic in Trish's eyes while her face was playing catch up with her mind, which was going a mile a minute. "Lay it on me, Stratus."

During the next fifteen minutes, Trish went into intricate detail over her encounter with Taker. Stacy listened intently until the last two minutes and that's when she thought Trish officially lost her damn mind. "And he just vanished? Into thin air?"

"I'm so not kidding, Stacy. He was gone!" Trish gesticulated.

Stacy blinked and yawned. The time read just a little after four in the morning and Stacy had more pertinent things in her agenda that day. Listening to Trish's horror story of a disappearing stranger wasn't one of them. "We'll talk more about it in the morning, Trisha. Please get some sleep."

"I'm telling you, Stacy. He really did disappear!" Trish held her ground. "I'm not making this up!"

"I know, Sweetie. But Trisha, it's four in the morning. Can we get some sleep and talk about it later?"

"Fine. But I know what I saw." Trish said as she left Stacy's room and closed the door behind her.

Trish walked to her bedroom and shed her clothing. She slipped into bed and stared up at the ceiling. She knew she wasn't hallucinating. _He did exist. I saw him, I spoke to him. _

_He did exist, right?_

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The next evening, Trish went to the library to prepare for an upcoming exam. She had a few hours to spare before she had to go to work and she put them to use as much as she could. She needed to concentrate on something other than what she saw—or thought she saw, the night before.

Walking up and down various aisles, Trish was too focused on finding a book on contracts and torts when she bumped into a stranger. She subsequently knocked his books out of his arms and she immediately kneeled down to pick them up. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

The man kneeled alongside Trish and helped her retrieve his books. "It's okay. They're just boring books, anyways."

Trish briefly glanced at the literature the man was interested in reading. He was interested in poetry as he was about to check out books by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Maya Angelou, and T.S. Eliot. "Do you write poetry?" She asked.

"Hardly. I just love to read it." He replied as he stood up.

Trish noticed her stranger. He had a soft demeanor about him that was welcoming. His quiet, deep voice reminded her of a low rumble. He was casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, yet it seemed like the shirt hugged his body. _Oh my…._

The man caught Trish staring at him. "Do you like what you see?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The Cult." He pointed to his shirt.

"Oh yes." Trish nodded. "I like the Cult."

The man smiled. _ I bet. _He held out a hand. "By the way, I'm Dave."

"Trish." She shook his hand.

The instant their hands touched, Dave knew Trish was the girl that Taker picked out for him. There was warmth about her presence and demeanor that felt right to him. Better yet, Trish knew it too. She swore that when she placed her hand within Dave's, a feeling of assuredness washed over her being. "Um, I know this is weird but I would love to get know you better." He suggested.

_I was waiting for the pick-up line. _"I don't give out my number to people I don't know and just met. For all I know you could be a killer or something."

_That's not a far stretch of the truth. _"That's fair."

"So meet me at The Wood tonight." Trish said. If Dave saw her when she was working, there were plenty of people surrounding them both. "Around 11, if that's not too late for you."

_That's actually perfect. _"Alright, then. I'll see you at The Wood tonight."

"Do you know how to get there?" Trish asked.

Dave turned around and smiled. "I think I can figure it out." And then he was gone.

Trish shook her head as once again she saw another man disappear right before her eyes. But this time, Dave didn't disappear into thin air. He was merely at the checkout line.


	4. Incoherent Thoughts

_2 Long Islands and 1 Green Dragon_

_3 Scooby Snacks_

_1 Sex with the Bartender, Against the Wall…yeah, right. _

Trish knocked out drinks left and right as she served her eagerly awaiting customers. The busier she was, the more money she made. The more money she made, the happier Randy was and persistent he was to get into Trish's pants. _Maybe I should start fucking up on purpose. _

Yet her surprising busy streak had another motive to it. She hasn't seen Dave all night and it was close to midnight. She occasionally looked up to see if she could spot him but he was nowhere to be found. _I should've known better. _

"Hey…" Mickie greeted as she picked up drinks. "You're on fire tonight."

"What are you talking about?" Trish smirked. "I'm always on fire."

Mickie laughed as she left money on the counter. "Right, right. Oh, by the way…cute guy at four o'clock has been checking you out all night."

Trish rolled her eyes before she bothered to look over. "Yeah, what dumbass is it…"

And then she saw him. Standing against the brick wall of the bar, he was casually dressed in a simple forest green T-shirt, jeans and shades. He humored two overly excited women by smiling and participating in their conversation. While the women thought Dave was coming onto them by sniffing their perfumes, he was really checking out their veins.

When he finally connected with Trish's eyes, he smiled. Trish was so caught up with Dave that she dropped a beer bottle on the floor. "Shit!" She muttered. She hurriedly cleaned up the mess so she can get back to flirting with Dave. When she did look back up, Dave was gone. _Great._

"Looking for someone?" He asked.

Trish was once again startled and dropped the beer bottle again. Dave smiled as he looked at Trish cleaning up her mess. "You might want to do something about those butterfingers." He smiled.

Trish stood up again and adjusted her shirt. "Thanks." She smiled. "Did you want something to drink?"

"What do you recommend?"

"Sex with the Bartender." She said suggestively. "It's amazing."

"Really?" Dave leaned closer to the bar. "And how's the drink?"

From a not-so nearby distance, Randy watched the sensual interactions between Trish and Dave. During the year Trish worked for him, he has never seen her remotely show interest in a guy. Now she was flirting and giggling like if she was being tickled. _Bullshit!_

"Hey Stratus," Randy approached the bar. "Do you need any help?"

"I got it, Orton."

Randy rolled up his sleeves. "Doesn't seem like you got it." He then turned to Dave. "What's up, man?"

"Nothing. I'm just waiting for my drink from the beautiful woman there." He nodded to Trish.

Trish once again giggled. When Randy turned to her, she abruptly stopped and handed Dave a beer. "Here you go."

"Yeah, we have a two-beer minimum here." Randy interjected.

Trish turned to him. _You would fuck up my game, wouldn't you? _"Since when?"

"Now. Company policy." Randy said, his eyes not leaving Dave.

"Company policy?" Trish repeated.

"Yes. In effect, starting now."

Mickie approached the bar. "Hey Mickie, did you know about a new two-beer minimum we have here?" Trish asked her.

"Two-beer minimum? From a guy who damn near got his liquor license taken away from last year because he contributed to someone having a DUI?"

"Mickie." Randy warned.

"Apparently it's "company policy."" Trish said.

Mickie shot Randy a disgusted look. "Motherfucker, this ain't no goddamn company."

"Go serve or you'll be fired." Randy said sternly.

Mickie grabbed her drinks and hurriedly left. "This ain't no goddamn company." She muttered.

Randy's eyes turned back to Dave, who was unmoved. "Trish, can I have three beers?" He said, continuing his glare at the younger man.

"Sure thing, Dave." She said. "Any preference?"

"Doesn't matter." He replied. Refocusing his attention back to Randy, Dave smiled. "Are we done here? I think I met your new…policy."

Randy felt his nostrils flare up as he continued to eye Dave. "Make sure you pay….in cash. Now."

Dave slipped out three ten-dollar bills. He briefly thought about integrating his telepathy powers but he decided to use them at a later date. _He's asking me to kill him. _ "I think that should cover the beers and tip."

Randy was about to grab the change until Trish set Dave's beers on the money. "I think you can go back to what you were doing, Orton."

Randy stood back from the bar and took a deep breath. "I'll talk to you later, Stratus." He then walked off.

Trish shook her head in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry for that."

"Don't apologize on his behalf." Dave replied. "It's not his fault he's a dick."

Trish smiled. "Well, thank you for being understanding."

"You're welcome." Dave then grabbed his beers. "I should be going now."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm about to entertain my guests." Dave nodded to the women in the corner. _A couple beers, a rendezvous at their place, and they'll be on their way to Heaven. _

"Oh." Trish replied, not wanting her disappointment to come out so loudly. "I see."

Dave turned back to her. "But we're not finished here. They're just my guests."

Trish opened another beer bottle and held it. She had an innate feeling that Dave was trying to play her. She was going to humor him for the night and let him think she was interested. "And what am I?"

Dave briefly set down his beers and kissed Trish's free hand. "You're my interest." He said softly.

Feeling Dave's soft and warm lips rocked Trish's core. She lost all thought and dropped another beer bottle. "You should really do something about your butterfingers." Dave suggested.


	5. Purity

"I want to suck him now!"

"You already sucked him off! It's my turn!"

"Now it's my turn again!"

"No, it's not!"

Normally a threesome would be pleasing to a man. Two sets of everything with extra mouths hungry to please. And if the girls were into each other, that was an extra bonus.

But unfortunately for Dave, he chose the mouthiest ones. He should've known better when they wouldn't shut up at the bar and how they kept talking during the entire cab ride. And a humane killing was slowly escaping his thoughts as the girls argued over his hardened shaft. _For fuck's sake…_

"No, it's my turn!"

"Uh-uh! You sucked him for five minutes! I counted!"

Just when Dave was getting ready to end his misery and break their necks, one of the women got on top of him and began to ride him steadily as her girlfriend pleasured her. _Much better. Much, much better. _

_But you and your girlfriend are still going to die. _

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Walking to her bike, Trish once again had a hand on her gun and a hand on her helmet. Seeing Dave leave with the two women made her feel like the lowest of the low. She was furious that he got to her in the manner he did yet she had an aching feeling of wanting to see him return. _What the hell, Stratus? Get a grip. Don't be a silly ho. _

When Trish turned the corner, she was once again startled. Dave was waiting for her—on her bike. His chestnut-brown skin radiated against the moonlight. His doe brown eyes invited her in. His body conformed to the bike as if it was made specifically for him. And there was nothing hotter than being surprised by a sexy man on her Harley. "Nice ride you have here."

She rushed to him. She was a distressed that the uncomfortable feeling she wasn't from Dave being on her bike but stopping the incredible urge from asking him home. "You're on my bike, mister."

Dave shrugged and got off the bike. "I'm sorry."

Trish nodded. "That's right. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go home. You should probably go back to your bimbos."

"I told you they were my guests. If you want to know what happened…"

"Spare me the details." Trish shook her head.

"I just saw them home and that's it." He replied. _Heaven is home. They can yap all they want up there. _

Trish looked at her watch. Dave has been gone for three hours. She didn't know where the women lived but she sure did know the roundtrip was not three hours. "And I bet you're going to sell me a piece of land on the Brooklyn Bridge, huh? Whatever." She rolled her eyes and put on her helmet.

"I want to take you out to dinner, Trish." He stepped aside.

"Why?"

"So we can eat…" He finished.

"Funny." Trish started up her bike. "We'll see."

"How about this? If you can do me the honor of accepting this date, then I promise you that I won't bother you anymore." He said.

Trish turned off her bike. She took off her helmet and shook her head. "What if I want you to bother me?"

Dave felt he needed to catch his breath as he admired Trish's beauty in the moonlight. Her blonde hair shone against the backdrop of the moon. Her hazel eyes sparkled and her face had a soft glow to it. She was stunning; she was mysterious; and he was inexplicably drawn to her.

And that was when Dave knew. Taker didn't choose Trish as a victim. He chose her as a new apprentice to The Family. And with Trish's fiery attitude, Dave knew that turning her wasn't going to be an easy task. _Thanks, Taker. I really appreciate it. _

Dave walked over to Trish. He put his fingers on her chin and lifted her eyes to his. "Tomorrow night at the Moroccan. I'll pick you up here around eight." He then kissed her right cheek. "I look forward seeing you again, Trish."

For the first time in a long while, Trish was actually happy that someone was in her personal space. If Dave wasn't holding her, she would've collapse.

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Trish waited for Dave as she triple-checked her makeup. She chose a simple eggplant, wrap-around dress and matching heels. Her hair was in a bun and the bangs were lightly framing her face. She purposely arrived at The Wood fifteen minutes early. She needed to have enough time to knock down a couple drinks to calm her nerves.

She couldn't remember the last time she was on a date with anyone, let alone a hot guy. And she has been celibate longer than she wanted to admit. Taking a last glance at her face and checking her watch, Trish's high-wire nerves were calm once she was greeted by a shiny black Mercedes.

Dave stepped out of the luxury car looking like he just came out of a photo shoot. He was dressed in black slacks and lavender dress shirt. Carrying a single white rose, he made eye contact with Trish. She was beautiful before but tonight she was breathtaking.

He walked up to her and stood merely inches from her. "For you." He handed her the rose.

Trish smelled the rose and kissed Dave's cheek. "Thank you."

When Trish and Dave pulled away, they both were fighting to keep their cool. For a split second, the electricity resonated so strongly, they both thought about skipping dinner and heading straight for dessert.

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"So what do you do for a living?" Trish asked as Dave drove to the restaurant.

Dave thought about his answer all week. _I kill people for a living. _ The Family came up with the perfect answer for him that wasn't quite the truth but wasn't quite a lie. "I'm an executive for a Fortune 500 company." _Fortune in that I'm rich; 500 for the number of years The Family has existed. _

"Oh really? Which one?"

Dave smiled as he thought about his answer. "Target."

"Oh? What do you do there?"

"I'm in Human Resources." _That's not really a lie. _

"Cool. Well, you already know what I do."

"Not really." Dave said as he turned a corner. "I know that you work at a bar, but I don't really know what you do. What do you do in your waking hours?"

"My waking hours?"

Dave grinned as he knew what he just said sounded anything but cool. "Yeah."

"I'm a student. I'm studying to get my real estate license. I hope to get my Associates Degree in Real Estate Management."

"Ah. A realtor in the making?"

"A broker in the making." She corrected. "Eventually I like to become a lawyer but we'll see."

_Ambitious, smart and sexy. I like this one. _"You'll make it."

"Thanks." Trish sniffed her rose. "You have good taste. I love roses."

"A rose is a timeless flower." He said. "They're sensual, delicate, simple and say a lot when you don't have to."

"And what are you trying to tell me?" She questioned.

Dave pulled up to the restaurant and looked over to Trish. "You have a purity and innocence about you and I'm humbled by it." He caressed her face. "Ready to go inside?"

Trish swallowed hard as she tried to catch her breath. "Uh-huh."


	6. Soul Confessions

The Moroccan was a Middle-Eastern restaurant located in downtown Los Angeles. The darling of celebrities and critics alike, the restaurant featured belly dancers, tarot card readings, and a décor of rich colors and carpentry.

It was no mistake that Dave particularly chose this restaurant. Besides the exotic food and sensual atmosphere, The Moroccan reminded him of when he turned some 200 years prior. And he would never forget that night or the woman who turned him out. _I hope she likes Trish. _

Ordering for his date, Dave and Trish became more acquainted with each other over wine. She talked more about her interests and her life. Her Harley was a gift from her parents on her 21st birthday.

"They must be very proud of you." Dave commented.

Trish nodded. "They were."

Dave didn't think twice at the hint Trish was dropping. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"

She waved a hand off to him. "I'm sure you've heard so I might as well inform you." She smarted.

Over the next several minutes, Dave learned something about Trish's demeanor that explained everything. Her parents and younger brother were killed in a botched robbery when she was a senior in college. She would never forget the week trying to concentrate on her finals while planning funeral arrangements.

News coverage was at an all-time high and Trish was forced into seclusion. Once the criminals were caught and the trials were over, Trish moved away from her hometown of Livonia, Michigan. Escaping her life—and possibly reality—Trish moved to Los Angeles. Not wanting the same thing to happen to her, Trish always carried a gun. She had several in her possession and retained a concealed weapon permit.

"And that's pretty much it. The story of my life." She shrugged as she nibbled on a breadstick.

"You know you didn't have to tell me that." Dave commented.

"It would've come out eventually." She shrugged.

Dave knew what Trish was doing and she was failing miserably at it. "You like to scare your dates often, don't you?"

"It works." She replied.

"Is that why you told me?"

"Possibly." She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "And possibly to see your reaction. Most guys feel so sorry for me that they feel that the only way to comfort me is to bed me. Some run as far away as they can."

"And my reaction is telling you…."

Trish studied Dave for a minute. He was calm and collected, yet unfazed. While his reaction wasn't typical, she wasn't sure if she was digging the stone face either. "I'm not sure yet, but I'm positive your true colors will come out soon enough."

"Fair observation."

"So what about you, Mr. Fortune 500 executive…" She sipped her Merlot. "What's your story?"

Dave shrugged. "I don't have one."

"Please. You didn't get to where you are without some back lot story?"

Dave thought about telling Trish his real past. And the thought of her actually believing that he was a vampire was nothing short of hysterical. "Oh there's a story. And I'll tell you when it's appropriate."

Trish took another sip and rolled the wine around in her mouth. "Are you always this secretive?"

"Are you always this inquisitive?" He challenged.

She didn't blink once when she answered him. "Yes."

Dave nodded. "I figured."

"Let me guess…" Trish leaned forward. "You're married."

Dave was too busy staring at Trish's ample breasts that he almost forgot she asked a question. "No."

"Illegitimate children?"

_Nitro and London? Yep, that would be them. _"None."

"There's something mysterious about you." Trish said.

_That's one way of saying it, yes. _"There's a bit of mystery about all of us, Trish."

"I know that, genius." She smirked. "But you're different."

Dave was intrigued. "How?"

"Your essence, your charm, your grace." Trish took another sip. "You have this quality about you that isn't contrived or fake."

"My aura, if you will." He added.

"Your swagger, if you mind." She challenged.

"Your undeniable sex appeal, if you let me." He once again challenged.

"Maybe." She smiled.

Dave smiled as the waiter set the plates down. "We should probably eat."

---------------------------------

Dave watched Trish dived into her Zagora Tagine. Her eyes lit up as she savored her dinner. It was no surprise that she hasn't had a good meal in a while. Being a bartender wasn't everything it was cracked up to be. "This is so delicious."

"Did you want to try this?" Dave held out a fork.

"The dinner or you?" She teased.

"Depends on what you're craving." He smiled.

Trish leaned over and took a bite of his Rabat Tagine. "Mmm…." She cooed as the beef tenderloin melted in her mouth.

Dave watched her enjoy his meal. He had never seen someone take such pleasure in eating. Her face was orgasmic; her body was flushed with heat. And she was only eating dinner.

"Did you want some?" Trish asked him as she gathered some food on her fork.

_Oh hell yes. _"Sure." Dave leaned forward and ate off Trish's fork. He closed his eyes and licked his lips. "Delicious."

Trish nodded as she watched Dave. "And this wine is so smooth…the way it trickles down my throat…" Trish breathed. She never felt such a pull towards another being yet she had to oblige what her body is achingly wanting. "Do you want to go…"

Dave motioned for the waiter. "Check please."


	7. Time to Wait For Tomorrow

_Author's Note: Thank you very much for the wonderful reviews. Like I've said, this is my first attempt at a supernatural story so please be gentle with me. _

_This chapter was heavily inspired by one of my favorite bands, Stone Temple Pilots. I was writing this chapter while listening to Plush. The chapter title comes from one of the song lyrics. This chapter contains sexual content. _

---------------------------------

"So tell me about this new chick that Taker picked out for you." Rock said as he moved a pawn.

Every week, Dave and Rock played chess. Turned by the same mistress on one fateful night, they both were very close with each other. Both men were trained and mentored by Taker and had the same interests. Besides being very physically attractive, they also had the same charismatic charm that often spurred contests of how many victims each man could get in one night.

With his soft brown eyes, light brown skin that reminded one of an iced mocha latte, and a panty-dropping smile, it was no wonder how Rock acquired many victims. And he used the same gimmick on a different girl every night. If he was generous with the girl, he often gave her a two-for-one night and invited Dave. And it happened more often than not.

"She's a blonde." Dave briefly mentioned while studying his next move.

Rock gestured. "And?"

"She's a bartender." Dave moved a rook.

"Don't be so talkative now, Batista." Rock smiled.

Dave grinned. "Her name is Trish and she's a great woman."

"How is she in bed?"

"Is that all you think about? How great a woman is in bed?" Dave asked with a disgusted face. "Have you ever stopped and ask about their feelings and what they want out of life?"

Rock stared at Dave before both men broke out in laughter. "That was good, man. You almost got me there." Rock commented.

"Like that?" Dave smiled.

"Good one." Rock conceded. "So how is she?"

Dave nodded as he reminisced about his lovemaking interactions with Trish. Even in his years of existence, he's never been so blown away by someone. And what was more impressive was Trish's flexibility. He would never forget how she showed him a maneuver she labeled the 'MaTrish', in which she was bent over backwards. It gave him plenty of ideas to use at a later date. "Damn good."

"Good." Rock moved a knight. "So what's the problem?"

"What makes you think there's a problem?" He questioned.

"Um, I think after knowing you for 200 years, I think I know when there's a problem."

Dave studied the chessboard before making his next move. "Her family was killed not that long ago."

"So? Did you do it?" He asked.

"No, but she doesn't know the story of The Family."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute…" Rock waved a hand to Dave. "Didn't Taker specifically choose her to be a member of The Family?"

"Mmm hmm." Dave nodded.

Rock stopped moving his piece midway. "And how long have you been boning her?"

"For about a month."

Rock moved another rook. He stopped and studied the chessboard. "How do you plan to turn her if she doesn't know?"

"I'm not sure."

"Yeah, because that's an idea." Rock smiled.

"I don't know how to approach her. I just don't know."

"Well, man…" Rock moved a last piece and slumped back into his chair. "You don't have too many options. You can tell her, she's cool with it and she's inducted into the Family. Or..."

"Yeah, I know what the 'or' is. And I don't want to go there."

"I don't think you have that option, man." Rock stood up and gathered his keys. "And by the way, checkmate." He smiled.

Dave glanced at Rock and at the chessboard. "What? That's impossible! You never beat me at chess."

"And you never had been sprung on some chick before." He smiled again. "Same time next week?"

"Yeah, yeah." Dave said as he continued to stare at the chessboard.

Rock turned around before he left. "You know what you have to do, Dave."

"Yeah, I know. I'll keep you posted."

After Rock left, Dave stared at his chessboard. Taker had given him a task and he only had a limited time to complete it. And no wasn't an option to Taker. "You really need to stop sneaking up on me, Taker." Dave said without turning.

Taker walked from behind Dave and sat at the table. "You need to turn her, Dave. Bottom line."

"I know."

"Or…"

"I know what the 'or' is." Dave said. "I'm just trying to figure out…"

Before Dave could finish his sentence, a huge explosion happened in the kitchen followed by a 'Dude, that was fucking sick!' Dave and Take turned to each other and glanced at the kitchen. "Should I even ask what that is about?" Taker asked.

"I wouldn't dare." Dave murmured.

"Dave, get in here! You gotta see this, man!" Nitro shouted.

"Dude, that was fucking awesome!" London laughed.

Dave turned his attention back to Taker. "So like I was saying…"

Nitro and London scooted out of the kitchen, covered in blood. Both vampires had shit-eating grins on their faces. "You guys would not believe what just happened here!" London said.

"Do I even want to know?" Taker asked.

"We took a jar of hours-old blood, you know? And put it in the microwave and heated it up, you know?" Nitro said. "And it exploded! It was fucking sick, man!"

"Yeah, I didn't want to know." Taker shook his head.

-----------------------------

Later that week, Dave met Trish at her apartment after she got off from work. Normally, they would stay up and talk about what had transpired during the week before proceeding with sex.

Not tonight. Trish was too revved up from not seeing Dave all week to care about anything other than getting what she's been craving.

Her mouth was amazing and skillful. Kissing all over his body, Trish moved stealth-like. When she enveloped his shaft in her inviting mouth, she moved slowly, loving the pleasure she was creating in him. She moved faster on his shaft, not wanting him to climax but teasing him with the possibility.

It was achingly beautiful. And Dave loved every tortuous minute of it.

Dave let out a deep sigh as he watched her. Slightly pulling her hair out of her face, he was getting more aroused by his personal show. She took him in hungrily and craved more of him. _Fuck, she's amazing._

A strong believer that there was more to give than to receive, Dave didn't hesitate to please Trish as he placed soft kisses on her most intimate parts. He played with her nipples with his fingers, then with his tongue. He sucked on each breast gently before trailing his tongue down to her navel.

Meanwhile, his hands were exploring her lower half, caressing her soft thighs. Sliding down the bed more, he spread her legs and kissed her inner thighs. He inhaled her intoxicating scent as he moved closer to her core. She was clean-shaven with a small patch of hair on her mound.

He tasted her slowly; wanting to savor her in the same manner he savored the restaurant meal. He pinned her arms down on the bed while he feasted on her. Meanwhile, Trish couldn't stand the undeniable pleasure. Her legs began to shake and small beads of sweat were forming on her body. So many times she was close to climax and he almost wanted her too.

But she loved the sweet torture he was giving her. And he couldn't say that he wasn't enjoying it himself.

Dave decided to end the torture and let Trish climax, he tightened his grip on her arms and began to lick her furiously. He concentrated on her nub and Trish exploded with pleasure. He continued the action for several more minutes until he satisfied with the number of multiples he had given her.

When he did enter her, they both drew a sharp sigh. She felt incredibly tight and wonderful on his shaft while he completely filled her. He slid in and out of her, their eyes connected and their souls comforted. They moaned together, often capturing kisses. Their tongues teased each other while their bodies danced in a natural rhythm.

Throughout the night, they switched positions and challenged each other with their body language and desire. The pair would climax several times that night; a few of the climaxes being simultaneous. When they climaxed, it was nothing short of hot and desirable as her head was thrown back as he kissed her neck.

During the night, Trish and Dave spooned together. As Trish slept peacefully, Dave watched her. Turning her was the only task that Taker gave him yet Dave felt a stronger connection with her. Her spirit, her being, and her soul drew him in.

As Dave caressed Trish's face again, he thought about their conversation at the restaurant. Trish's only concern was his lack of reaction than anything else. But if she really knew how he felt, there was no telling how she would've reacted.

He often killed his victims without giving a second thought about their families and whom they're leaving behind. More than a few occasions did he kill someone and disappeared before the body dropped. And now he was with someone who was challenging everything he had ever learned or felt. And that was very dangerous.

If Trish didn't accept his lifestyle, Dave would be forced to kill her.


	8. Fact or Fiction?

_Author's Note: I know a few of you were stunned by my announcement but don't worry…after talking with several people (and receiving very touching pm's from several close people), I am going to finish the stories I've started. As far as my retirement is concerned? Who knows? But with three ongoing stories, it won't be for a long time. For those who don't know what I'm referring to, just read the message on my profile page. _

_Enough babbling….onto the story…._

_----------------------------------------------_

Trish woke to smell of Cinnabon coffee waking her nose. She briefly opened her eyes to the creeping sunlight through her shades. She tussled her hair a little and looked over her shoulder. Dave was gone. _Surprise, surprise._

Ever since they've been dating for a month, Dave has become notoriously known to disappear before the daybreak. He often left a note and sometimes a flower, but it would be like he never existed. Not to mention, Trish and Dave only got together late after she finished work. Needless to say, Trish was more than a little suspicious about Dave's behavior.

Putting on a long white shirt, Trish headed out to the kitchen. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Dave was in the kitchen making breakfast and talking to Stacy. "Good morning, sleepyhead." Stacy smiled.

Trish yawned slightly and joined her roommate and boyfriend at the bar. "Good morning." She turned to Dave. "I'm glad to see that you're still here."

Dave smiled and handed Trish a plate of eggs, bacon, and French toast. "Good morning, Honey."

Stacy nudged Trish. "Don't upset the cook now. He's making us free breakfast."

Trish rolled her eyes and chewed on a piece of bacon. "Did we disturb you last night?"

"The first one, I caught the tailwind of it." Stacy sipped her orange juice. "The second time and the third time, I was having some fun listening to you guys."

Dave and Trish glanced over to Stacy. "Oh?" Dave asked.

"Not like that, sicko. It was entertaining listening to the different pitches Trish would sing when you guys changed positions. Like how she'll squeal when…"

Trish's cheeks were becoming increasingly red. "Okay, that's enough, Stacy."

Dave laughed at Trish's expense. "Next time I won't twist her body so…"

"You're begging me not to ever give you ass again, mister." Trish warned.

Dave leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm just kidding, Honey."

"Mmm hmm…"

Dave briefly glanced at the kitchen clock. It was eleven in the morning. And he had an appointment with Melina for manicures. Normally, he would miss the appointment but Dave couldn't stand the way his cuticles were looking. "I need to leave now, Honey."

Trish became somber. "Okay." She mumbled. "Um, are we still on for tonight?"

"Yeah, we are." Dave thought about the dinner plans he made with Trish. It was more than just a nice dinner to be with her. He was going to finally tell her about his history, their present, and possibly, her future. "I'll pick you up tonight around 7:30?"

"Yeah, 7:30." Trish said as she reluctantly accepted a kiss from her boyfriend. "Bye."

"Bye, Honey. Bye, Stacy." Dave said.

"Bye Dave!" She waved.

After Dave left, Stacy turned to Trish. "What was that about? You had great sex and your fine-ass boyfriend made us a nice breakfast. Stop being such a sour-puss."

"I'm tired of the secrets, Stacy. He's always leaving early in the morning and we only get to see each other late at night. I haven't been to his place and he only gave me his cell number to reach him by." Trish shook her head as she ate. "I knew he was married."

"Do you know that for a fact? Trish, hello? Think about it. He's always leaving early in the morning because he has a freakin' job to go to. You only see each other late at night because you're in school and you're a bartender. And he only gave you his cell number because he probably doesn't want your crazy-ass bothering him at work. It makes sense, don't you think?"

"Thanks for being so supportive, Stacy."

"If you think it'll make you feel better, just ask him tonight over dinner. If he's married, he'll come out and say it. And then just quietly tell him to fuck off and walk out." She smiled.

Trish grinned and went back to enjoying her meal. She was more than a little tired of Dave's games. They have been together for a month and it was time that she needed some answers. But that could wait after she finished her delicious meal.

-------------------------------------

One definite perk that Trish enjoyed the most being with Dave was the exclusive access he had to all of the major hot spots in Los Angeles. He never had problems getting them into a select club or eatery. It was a surreal feeling of eating crème brulee next to a few of Hollywood's A-listers.

Little did Trish know was that part of the exclusive access was Dave's connection to Rock, who posed as a restaurateur to acquire more victims. Dave decided to take Trish to one of Rock's restaurants, The Palace. It was a restaurant/night club that catered to the sophisticated and stylish.

With its exquisite menu and large wine and champagne selection, it was no wonder Dave used The Palace to butter Trish up. "Dave, you made it finally." Rock said as he glanced down at his watch.

Dave walked up to the front booth with Trish on his arm. "I'm only 30 minutes late."

"I'm only 30 minutes late." Rock mocked. "If it wasn't for the fact that we go back, man…." He turned his attention to Trish. "Good evening, Trish. I'm Rock, Dave has told me how beautiful you are but he didn't mention how stunningly gorgeous you are."

Trish smiled and blushed a little. "Thank you." She said quietly.

"Right this way." Rock said as he escorted Dave and Trish to their table. During the short walk to the booth, Dave and Rock decided to integrate their telepathy skills.

_Have you told her yet?_

_I'm going to tonight._

_Yeah, because telling her in a public place where she could make a scene was a smart move. _

_Was it better that I told her at home where I would have to kill her?_

_Yes. Fuck her and kill her. Pretty simple plan, if you ask me. _

_You're incredible, you know that?_

_And your girl's body is pretty damn…_

_Watch it, man. _

"Here you are." Rock moved a chair for Trish to sit down.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Let me know if you need anything." He smiled and left.

Trish looked at her surrounding area. She and Dave definitely had the best table in the restaurant. They had view seats that overlooked the city lights. "Amazing." She whispered.

"You like it?" Dave asked.

Trish looked at him and smiled. "I love it."

Dave smiled back. "I'm glad."

Trish wanted to wait until after they had dinner to confront her boyfriend. But her patience level was quickly going away. As the waiter came by to pour the wine, Trish felt that it was a now or never moment. "Dave, I need to ask you something. And I want you to be as honest with me as possible."

"Alright. What is it?"

"Are you married?" Trish blurted.

Dave shook his head and smiled once again. "No, and I thought we went over this."

"Yeah, but you're confusing me. You always leave early in the morning and we only hook up late at night. I can only reach you on your cell phone which tells me you don't want me calling your house." Trish pointed out. "And I have yet to go to your home."

Dave looked at his girlfriend. He was forced into a situation that he avoided for a month. And now he could no longer ignore what was blatant in his face. "I might as well come out and say it. I'm a vampire."

Trish stared at Dave and downed her wine. A part of her wanted to believe him while the other part wanted to strangle him. "You were better off telling me that you're married."


	9. Interview with the Vampire

_Author's Note: The power of persuasion is an amazing thing. Thank you to everyone who has sent notes. I've updated my profile. _

_--------------------------------_

Trish cut into her baked chicken and asparagus dinner. A light drizzle of cream of broccoli covered the chicken as it was baked to perfection. The white blush wine that complemented it was just as equally devouring. "This is so good." She clamored.

Dave watched Trish eat her meal. Her reaction was typical and expected. Of course, she wasn't going to believe him and he didn't think she would. She did surprise him by not leaving the restaurant in a mad dash. But once Trish explained to Dave that she was there for a great meal and she was going to get it, he complied.

"Waiter! Waiter!" Trish flagged their server down and held up her glass. "Can I have some more, please? Thank you."

She must've had at least three glasses of wine—and that wasn't counting the two she had before dinner arrived. Dave sighed as he slowly began to realize how terrible the evening was going to be. _Rock was right. I was better off fucking her and killing her. _

"So how many people have you killed?" Trish asked nonchalantly.

Dave once again knew what Trish was trying to do. There was no way she believed him but she was going to humor him. Wanting to maintain the calm scene, Dave played Trish's game. "Many."

"Really?" She asked, with her eyes lit with pretense interest. "And you sucked the blood out of their necks?"

"Sometimes."

Trish took another bite and waved her fork in a circular motion. "Interesting. So let me ask you, Mr. Vampire…if you're really a vampire, where are your fangs?"

"They come out when I'm getting ready to kill someone."

Trish nodded. "I see, I see." The waiter came back with her glass and she wasted no time drinking her wine. "You know I've studied a little about vampires. I know a thing or two about them."

"Oh? And what do you know?"

"I know." Trish took another sip. "That you're full of shit."

As Trish made her comment, Dave caught Rock's eyes staring at the scene. Rock had a look in his eyes that were suggesting that he was going to have no problem getting the job done, so to speak.

_What the hell is taking you so long, Dave?_

_I got it, man._

_It doesn't look like you got it. _

_Let me handle it._

_Alright, but if the drunk bitch throws up on my floor…._

_Rock…_

"First of all, all vampires are pale." Trish pointed her knife towards Dave. "You're nowhere near pale. Second, all vampires have long fingernails. Yours are curiously manicured which makes me wonder if your real secret is that you're homo. Third, all vampires have capes and turn into bats. I have yet to see anything like that from you. And lastly…"

Dave finished Trish's thoughts for her. "All vampires sleep in coffins."

Trish nodded as she was taking another bite of her dinner. "Exactly! That's why you're full of shit."

"I think somebody has seen Interview With the Vampire a little too much." Dave smirked.

Trish moved her head to the left. "Hardy-har-har, motherfucker." She took another sip. "If you're a vampire—and that's a big fuckin' if—do a trick for me."

"Oh, so I'm your puppy now?"

"Damn right you are." Trish hiccupped. "Do something. Show me, motherfucker."

Dave took another sigh. The last time he showed a "trick" was to humor Nitro and London, who have yet to stop talking about "the wicked time that Dave fucked with their heads." And now Dave was forced to become a spontaneous magician. "Fine. You want a trick? Put a thought into your head. Doesn't matter. Just put a thought into your head."

Trish closed her eyes and pretended to think hard. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. "Okay, I have a thought. What am I thinking, Mr. Vampire?"

Dave smiled and shook his head. "I'm not going to say it out loud where people can hear me, Trisha."

"No, go ahead and say it, damn it." Trish's voice became a little louder, causing other patrons to see what the commotion was about. "You're brave enough to kill people, you should be brave enough to say what I'm thinking."

"Fine." Dave said quietly. He leaned over the table. "Yes, I think your snatch is cute. And yes, despite you thinking that I'm not going to get any ass, I'll convince you otherwise."

Trish pulled back and gasped. "Lucky guess."

"Of course it was." Dave rolled his eyes.

Trish finished her wine. "Fine. If you're this vampire, prove it. Show me your home."

Dave looked at Trish and glanced at Rock. He smiled and nodded. _She wants to see The Family, let her see The Family. _

"Fine." Dave nodded to Rock that he and Trish were done with their table. "Let's go home."

--------------------------

Dave drove Trish to his palatial Victorian home. Giving her water in hopes she would sober a little, Dave gave Trish a tour of his home. Decorated in the finest and luxurious furniture and art, the home was fit for royalty. From the massive library that encompassed 50,000 books to the living room that was bigger than The Wood, Trish was floored. _Maybe he is a vampire. _

"You wanted to see my coffin?" Dave asked.

"Um, sure." Trish said nervously.

Dave led Trish upstairs to his bedroom. A large four post bed was front and center and candles were spread throughout the room. Covered in deep reds and burgundies, it was no mistake that the colors reminded Trish of blood. She felt herself checking her neck to see if there were any bite marks. "Nice bedroom." She muttered.

"Thank you." Dave pointed to the corner. "There it is."

Trish glanced over to her right and took a step back as she saw it. Standing upright was an oak coffin. Despite how much she had to drink, Trish felt herself sobering up very quickly. "Is that real?"

"I hope so. I paid really good money for it." Dave said.

Trish glanced up at him, waiting for the joke but there was none to be found. "Do you sleep there?"

"Actually I sleep there." Dave pointed towards the bed.

"Oh." Trish muttered again. "Um, can I take a look at the coffin?"

"Sure." Dave walked over to the coffin and opened it for her. It was that moment that Trish knew exactly how metrosexual her boyfriend was. "Should I be surprised there's a Louis Vuitton lining inside?"

"Not really." Dave replied.

Trish examined the coffin while she gathered her thoughts. She wanted to ask Dave how he was able to afford the house and everything inside—including the coffin. But a part of her didn't want know the truth. He was already honest with what he did and she was pretty sure that how he acquired the items was something short of honest. _I'm better off not knowing. _"Nice."

Dave walked over to the bed and sat down. "Honey, come here."

Trish stopped examining the coffin and began to walk towards Dave. She stopped midway. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because you're still alive."

"You're not funny."

Dave took off his shirt and threw it in the corner. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but let's be real, you wouldn't believe me."

Trish had to focus her concentration on Dave's eyes and other parts of his face to distract her from thinking about licking his nipples. "What makes you think I believe you now?"

"You're here."

"And I'm getting ready to leave pretty damn soon."

"I doubt that. If you didn't believe me, you would've left at The Palace." Dave cocked his head to the side. "I think a part of you likes the fact that I'm a bit on the dark side."

"Bullshit."

"Oh?"

"Yeah! If you're a vampire, do something else with your mind!" She challenged.

"Trish, come here."

"No." She folded her arms.

"Fine." With his mind, Dave moved Trish towards him. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she stood in between his legs. "You did that intentionally just to see if I can do it, huh?"

"Oh yeah." She grinned.

After they made love, Trish rested her head on Dave's chest. Too many events and freak occurrences happened for her to question what he said. _Either he really is a vampire or he's seriously fucked up._ Trish raised her head to look at her boyfriend. He looked peaceful as sleep kissed him. As she watched him sleep, Trish thought about what Dave told her. There was a reason why he told her about his lifestyle when he could've just lied about it. But that part wasn't bothering her so much.

While she was fascinated with his lifestyle, she was also scared and nervous about it. And that was when it hit Trish hard. She was in love with a murderer. And if she wasn't careful, she was going to be his next victim.


	10. Murder They Wrote

The next morning, Trish woke up to an absent Dave. _He must be a vampire. He's always disappearing on my ass. _ She adjusted her vision and looked at her surroundings. Dave's bedroom was gorgeous at night but the daylight brought out the best features. The spacious room had vaulted ceilings and cranberry window treatments. A large bear rug was in front of the fireplace and Trish smiled a little as she remembered the various positions Dave put her in the night before on that very rug. _Shit, I probably have rug burn._

When she had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, she was sunned by the sheer extravagance of the marble floors and counter. She wasn't that surprised by the plethora of beauty products that covered the counter, however. At least Trish knew that she didn't have to run out and buy any hair gel.

Dave entered the bedroom wearing his heartwarming smile. "Good morning, Honey."

Trish stretched and yawned. "Good morning, Baby."

"How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept pretty good---that is, when you let me." She smiled.

"Yeah because you were complaining so much." Dave smiled.

"Cute." She smiled. "So what's on the agenda today? Going out to kill some more poor souls? Going to disappear into thin air again?"

"Actually, yes." Dave smirked. "But first things first, breakfast is ready. I want you to meet some people."

"Who?" She questioned.

"The Family." He said quietly. "Now, hurry up and get ready. We'll be ready for you downstairs."

After Dave left, Trish quickly showered and put on her clothing. She was irritated that she only had her compact and lip gloss but she'll manage.

When she arrived downstairs, she was immediately greeted with members of The Family standing up to welcome her to the table. Dressed in their finest designer wear, London, Nitro, Melina and Rock welcomed Trish to the dining room.

Dave walked over to Trish and kissed her cheek. "Have a seat, Honey."

Trish nervously sat down as Dave laid a napkin on her lap. As the other members of The Family watched her, Trish was secretly hoping that she wasn't the sacrificial lamb for that morning's breakfast. "Thank you." She muttered.

Dave walked back towards his seat at the end of the table. He had to stop Nitro, London, and Melina from staring holes into Trish's body. "Family, let's eat."

Trish watched everyone dive into the various Filipino foods awaiting them on the table. From the champorado and honey-orange pull apart bread to Bibingka Malagkit, the breakfast was fit for royalty. More specifically, the feast was to soothe Trish's feelings into the Family.

As Trish watched everyone gather their dishes, she took a minute to look at The Family. She was already familiar with Rock but she could tell by the way him and Dave conversed that they had a strong bond. Both men whispered amongst each other about various topics. They both smiled and laughed loudly. _Two peas in a pod_.

With his olive skin, London was of Spanish descent. Mirroring a clerk at an adult video store during his waking hours, London was quite the expert in adult films. To acquire more victims and wanting to get laid, he often worked as a DJ at Rock's nightclubs. Having a muscular build and a boyish-charm, London had a smile that lit up the room. And with his Pantene hair shine, Trish could tell he was just as metrosexual as her boyfriend.

London was also the comic relief of the apprentices, cracking a joke about whatever he could and whenever it seemed convenient. London was the perfect companion—as long as you didn't make a disparaging comment regarding his porn. _Nobody and I mean nobody touches my damn porn. _

London's partner-in-crime was Nitro. Unlike his counterpart who resembled a young luchador, Nitro was looking more out of the pages of Abercrombie and Fitch. With his sandy blonde hair, hazel eyes, and surfer body, Nitro was the quiet one of the apprentices. He often did what he was told and didn't put up a fight when he didn't want to do something. And it was so secret that the primary quality that attracted Melina to him. _I love her, I love her, I love her. _

Melina was a fiery female with multi-colored hair and a petite frame. She and Nitro mirrored as a stripper and cocktail server to acquire victims. She would often convince the men or women to host a private party at a hotel room with her and Nitro. Often before Nitro's strip tease was over, the victim was dead.

She was the sole female of the household and took pride of taking care of the men. While she was with Nitro for over 50 years, it was no secret that Melina had her eyes set on Dave. He only teased her by biting her neck to turn her. She really wanted him to pleasure her and then turn her. And she secretly hoped that he would still make love to her. _Nitro would understand. If he doesn't, I don't care._

Needless to say, Melina was less than enthused that Trish was going to join The Family. And if she could help in any way to see Trish has a fateful date with heaven, Melina would more than oblige to help.

"So, Trish…" London started to say, "Have you ever been around vampires before?"

Dave shook his head and hoped London's question would be the only stupid one of the morning. But he knew when there was London, there was Nitro. "Dumbass, she hasn't been around vampires! See how clean her neck is!" Nitro said.

"You're both stupid! She's human! She hasn't been around any vampires!" Melina interjected.

"Children…" Dave said sternly. "Let's not bother Trish."

"It's okay, David." Trish nodded.

"Ha! She called you David!" London laughed. "Dude, you're pussy-whipped!"

"Where's the leash, David?" Nitro laughed.

"I wouldn't be talking." Rock commented.

Nitro stopped laughing and began eating his breakfast. "Yes, sir."

"Trish," Melina smiled, "Have you seen the house?"

"I have." Trish smiled. "I love it. It's very beautiful."

"What have you seen?" Nitro asked.

"Um, I've seen the library, the kitchen, the master bedroom and bathroom." Trish smiled.

"Oh man, you gotta see my room!" London smiled. "It's wicked! I have so many pictures of puss…"

Before London could finish his sentence, Melina dropped her fork and did a slow head turn towards Trish. "You spent the night in the master bedroom."

Rock smiled as he knew how territorial Melina was of Dave. "Oh shit, it's on now." He laughed.

Trish nodded. "Yes."

Melina whipped her head towards Dave. "I thought all guests slept in the guest bedroom, David." She sneered.

"Drop your tone, Melina and that is my only warning." Dave flatly said.

Melina squinted her eyes at Dave and excused herself from the table. "I'm not hungry anymore." She turned around and faced Nitro. "Let's go, Nitro. Now."

"I'm not done eating breakfast!" Nitro commented.

"Now!" Melina yelled.

"Nitro, stay put." Rock glanced at Melina. "Go take a nap."

Melina threw her hands in the air and ran upstairs. After a few minutes, Nitro excused himself from the table. "I need to go check on her."

After Nitro left, Trish looked at the remaining men at the table. "Should I get used to that?"

All of the men nodded and sighed. "Unfortunately."

--------------

After breakfast, Dave drove Trish back to her apartment and walked her to the front door. There was an uncomfortable silence between the pair as she got out her keys. "I guess I'll see you around." Trish said.

"Trisha," Dave grabbed her hands. "I know you just learned a whole lot and it's going to take some time to swallow."

"I just need time to think, David. I just…I just don't know…"

Dave understood Trish's plight. It would be unfair for him to assume that Trish was going to immediately join The Family now. But he was running out of time and it was putting him in a very precarious position. "Alright."

She kissed his lips. "I'll call you later."

"I'll call you later, Trisha." He kissed her forehead.

"David?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"Are you really a Fortune 500 executive?" She asked.

"In a past life, I was." Dave smiled. "I'm an English professor."

Trish nodded and smiled. "Of course, you are."

Trish stood by her front door and watched Dave leave. For a split second, she felt comfortable being surrounded by The Family. While she knew they were on their best behavior, she felt their attitudes and mannerisms would be something she could adjust to.

Now only if she can get over the fact they all kill to survive.


	11. Eyes of Disarray

Trish headed straight to the fridge and got out a bottle of cheap wine. She poured a glass and quickly downed it. She was midway of pouring another glass when she thought to drink out of the bottle instead.

"Yeah, you're not an alcoholic." Stacy smirked.

Trish walked over to the couch and plopped down on it. She still had the wine bottle gripped steadily in one hand and lifted her other hand to hold it while she drank more. After several gulps, she eased off the bottle. She hiccupped and wiped her mouth with the back of her palm. "He's a fuckin' vampire."

Stacy sat down on the floor beside Trish. "So I take it that the date went well?"

"I asked him if he was married and he said he wasn't. And then he took me back to his house, which was huge and he showed me his coffin."

"He has a coffin?" Stacy questioned.

"Yes! And he did this trick, you know? Where he moved me with his mind and he read my thoughts!" Trish's eyes grew big.

Stacy grabbed the bottle of wine away from her roommate and read its contents. "What the hell is in here?"

"I'm telling you, Stacy! He's a fuckin' vampire!" Trish explained.

"Um hmm…" Stacy grabbed Trish's hand and set the wine bottle aside. "You've been up all night having sex and now you're drinking. It's time for Trish to go to bed now." She then led Trish to her bed and covered her with a blanket. "Good night, Trisha."

"He's a vampire, Stacy." She pouted.

"I'm sure he is." Stacy grinned. "Now go to sleep." She shut the door behind her.

Trish rolled over and stared at a picture of her and Dave in a frame. It was taken during one of their dates at a fair. She was leaned against him and his arms were wrapped her waist. She remembered how safe and protected she felt in his arms. Trish then shook her head and smiled at the irony of the situation.

_Of course I would feel safe and protected in the arms of a killer. Why wouldn't I?_

------------------------------

Several hours later, Trish slept off the alcohol and woke up feeling more confused. She was sure of what happened the night before but she also wasn't sure about a lot of things. If Dave was really a vampire, how come she hasn't heard about a rash of killings in the city? What was his intention of telling her about his vampirical ways? And why was she still thinking about it? _I need to lay off the alcohol. _

Before Trish could gather her thoughts, Stacy barged through her bedroom door carrying a mini-skirt and a halter top. "You're getting dressed. We're going out tonight!"

"Um, no, we're not."

"Um, yes we are. You need to get over Dave because as much of a nice guy he is, he's too fuckin' weird." Stacy shook his head. "You need to go out and forget about him!"

Trish folded her legs in front of her and pouted. "I'm happy being at home."

"Let's go! We're going out and we're having a good time. No talk about men or booty calls or vampires, for fuck's sake." Stacy said. "Now hurry up and put on some clothing."

"But…"

"No, we're going out, Stratus. Now you have 30 minutes to get sexy."

Trish rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about? I'm always sexy."

-----------------------------------------------------

Stacy and Trish headed out to The Champagne Room—an upscale nightclub in the center of Orange County. Dressed to killer perfection with matching outfits, the women entered the club in the same fashion they always did: all eyes were on them.

As Trish and Stacy danced amongst themselves and few lucky patrons, two men were watching the pair methodically. Both men were tall and muscular; one had dirty blonde hair and slight stubble of facial hair while the other had a sculpted beard and multi-colored hair.

"Those two." The blonde pointed to his friend. "Those two."

"Yeah, I think I see them." The darker one said.

"I'm going to approach them. They're ours tonight." He then got up and approached Stacy.

Stacy was laughing and dancing with Trish when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Go away, I'm not interested in your dick size."

"Good, because I'm not interested in yours either." The man replied.

Stacy immediately turned around and smiled. She's used to dismissing men left and right that it caught her off-guard that one replied to her in the same sarcastic tone. "What's your name?" Stacy asked.

"I'm Edge." He replied.

"Edge? Interesting name." She said.

Edge swung Stacy around the floor and pulled her close to him. "I'm an interesting guy." He smiled.

"Yeah, I think that's my cue to go get a drink." Trish shook her head and walked away.

---------------------------

While Trish watched Stacy and Edge get acquainted with each other on the dance floor, she thought about Dave. She missed him so much but she needed to be away from him. Whether he was serious or an overzealous fan of the occult, Trish felt she need time to reassess her situation with him. _Why did he tell me all of that? What was his purpose? _

Meanwhile, Edge's companion sat beside Trish at her booth. "You looked depressed."

Trish stared straight ahead at Stacy and Edge living it up on the dance floor. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You don't look like it."

Trish shrugged. "Meh. It is what it is."

"Well, you need to be out there having fun. A pretty girl like you shouldn't be here moping around." He encouraged.

Trish looked over and saw the most amazing hazel eyes staring back at her. Long blue and purple hair framed his face, while a tight T-shirt exposed his muscular body. A southern gentleman with a touch of wild in him, and an exhilarating scent that made Trish that much more interested in her conversation. "I'm Trish."

"I'm Hardy. You can call me Jeff." He smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Jeff." She smiled back.

Jeff motioned towards the dance floor. "Shall we?"

"Can you dance?" Trish asked.

"Not really, but I can two-step." He said as he got out of the booth and grabbed Trish's hand.

Jeff led Trish to a spot on the dance floor and they danced to a slow song. Trish wrapped her arms around Jeff's neck as he held onto her waist. Stacy looked over and gave Trish the 'thumbs up' and Trish shook her head. "We're just dancing." She mouthed.

"Sure doesn't look like it." Stacy mouthed back.

During the song, Trish's and Jeff's eyes never lost contact with each other as they continued to rock each other's body to the slow tempo. Just when they were about to seal their fate in a kiss, the song stopped and the lights to the club came on. It was universal signal to leave the club and continue the party somewhere else.

"I don't want this night to end, Trish." Jeff mumbled.

"It doesn't have to." She mumbled back.

Stacy and Edge walked towards the would-be couple with their arms around each other's waists. "Ready to go, kids?" Edge smirked.

"Let's go." Jeff and Trish said in unison.

-----------------

Jeff and Trish walked out of the club hand in hand, as did Stacy and Edge. They were on their way to another destination as friends of Jeff and Edge were waiting for them. "Ladies, a few of our friends will be joining us tonight." He pointed out their friends. "Lilian and Carlito, meet Trish and Stacy. They'll be hanging out with us for a few hours."

Lilian and Carlito had the same thought run through their heads. _Ooh, more victims. _"Nice to meet you." Lilian smiled.

"Same here." Carlito greeted.

Immediately, Trish had an uneasy feeling wash over her. Something didn't seem right with the situation, no matter how charming Jeff and Edge were. "I think we'll be heading out now." Trish said.

"Trish, get a grip! We're just going to hang out for a little bit." Stacy pleaded.

"I'm not going to 'hang out' and neither are you. Let's go!" Trish grabbed Stacy's arm.

"No, and stop being a sour-puss!" Stacy complained.

"Ladies, ladies, ladies." Edge stood between them. "Let's not fight here when we can make love." He smiled. "I'm just joking."

"I'm not." Trish pulled on Stacy's arm. "Let's go!"

"No, I'm not leaving!" Stacy pulled her arm back.

"Oh, I think you should be leaving." Another voice said.

Edge's smile dropped the moment he recognized the voice. "Thank you for ruining my night, Dave."

Dave walked up from behind Edge. He had the Family in tow and none of them looked happy to see Edge and Jeff. "I think you should be leaving."

Dave stood face-to-face with Edge, who smirked at him. "Long time no see, Batista."

"Edge." Dave stared past him.

In the vampire underworld, it was no secret that The Family and The Brood were long enemies—longer than either camp could remember. While no one knew the exact cause of the dissention, it never mattered.

The differences between the groups were evident from the clothing to their attitudes to how they killed their victims. While the Family often shopped at high-end stores, the Brood stole the victim's clothing. The Brood was known to be snobby and rude, while the Family was classy and considerate. The Family always gave their victims a humane killing while the Brood often tortured their victims before killing them.

Other members of The Family met up with their respective nemesis of The Brood—Melina and Lilian; Nitro and Hardy; London and Carlito. With the just a simple signal from either Dave or Edge, both groups were ready to battle.

But now was neither the time nor the place, despite how much Dave wanted to hand Edge his ass. "I'm going to escort my girlfriend home now if you're done here." He said politely.

"Your girlfriend, huh?" Edge glanced over at Trish and winked at her. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"Oh, I think you did." Dave nodded. "Are you done here or should I finish you off?"

"I'm done here." Edge looked around to the Brood. "Brood, let's go."

The respective Brood members stepped away from The Family. They then stood behind Edge. "I'll see you around, Batista." Edge smiled and waved. "Let's go."

Disappearing into the night, The Brood vanished. The other members of the Family were secretly talking and plotting amongst themselves about a possible showdown. Dave stared into the empty dark space, trying to calm his senses down.

"What was that about?" Trish walked up to Dave and grabbed his hand.

Dave gripped Trish's hand tighter. Edge was not trying to be friendly with Trish and Stacy. And now that he knew their scents, it was only a matter of time before one of them was killed. "Don't worry about it."


	12. Turning Point

In yoga, one is taught to breath through your nose to clear your thoughts and relax your senses. Dave practiced yoga religiously and followed the techniques to a tee. While he no longer had to breathe, he felt his senses becoming calmer in just a few minutes.

And that was exactly what he needed when he was going to confront his girlfriend later. Dave turned his attention to his girlfriend. "Want to tell me what that was about?"

"We were just dancing and having a good time, David." Trish explained.

Dave nodded. "I'm sure you were."

Trish immediately let go of her boyfriend's hand. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"We're going home." He said in a cold demeanor. "Trisha, you're coming with me tonight. Nitro, London and Melina, please escort Stacy home."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Stacy shook her head.

Dave walked up to Stacy and backed her against a wall. "You're leaving now."

Seeing Dave so close to her, Stacy quickly relented and calmed down. He wasn't trying to be polite or nice and he meant business. "Alright, damn. You don't need to be so rude about it!"

---------------------

Cold and grossly uncomfortable. Dark without a touch of light. Trish rubbed her arms as she adjusted to the freezing temperature inside Dave's Mercedes. It wasn't that cold inside the car, she silently admitted. But Dave's chilly demeanor towards her was nothing but warm and fuzzy.

"You know if you're mad at me, just say it. You don't have to be so damn passive-aggressive about it." Trish said quietly.

Dave continued to drive and didn't say a word. He figured anything he would say now would just make things that much more uncomfortable. And he had a lot on his mind.

Trish looked over to Dave. "Look, we were just dancing and having a good time. We weren't planning to do anything with those guys." She defended. Once again, Dave's silence killed her.

Upon arriving back to his home, Dave got out of the car. He walked over and opened the car door for Trish to step out. She studied his face. While he appeared to be calm and collected, Trish saw no color in Dave's eyes. They were almost a smoky grey color. He didn't blink once and Trish could tell he was trying very hard to maintain his cool.

"Are you going to get out?" He asked.

"I'm not sure if I should." Trish admitted.

"Fine. Stay in there." Dave shut the car door and headed towards the home.

Trish quickly unbuckled and got out of the car. She quickly walked up to Dave and began to yell at him. "Don't you ever disrespect me like that!"

"Woman, you better lower your voice." Dave stared at Trish. "Now let's be real clear on something. I don't want to know what you were doing with Jeff and Edge, and right about now, I don't think I care. But you are forbidden to be around any of them."

Trish was enraged. "Forbidden? You forbid me to do something? I'm not your fuckin' property, David!"

"Trish, you don't know what Jeff and Edge are capable of. And there is no guarantee what would've happened if we didn't show up."

"I can take care of myself, David."

"You can't take care of yourself against four people."

"I'm not weak, Dave. I carry a gun. I know how to use it."

"You can't use a gun against the Brood, Trish. Just like you can't use a gun against me or any other member of the Family or the Brood." Dave warned. "This conversation is over. This is the last time I'm going to speak on this." He opened the door and stepped aside.

Trish folded her arms. "I'm not going inside."

"Trish, get inside."

"No, I'm staying out here." She sat down on the steps.

"Fine." Dave slammed the door and walked inside the home.

Once inside the home, Dave headed upstairs to his bedroom. He took off his shirt and shoes and collapsed on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling and just shook his head. He wasn't apologetic about being protective of his girlfriend and he wasn't second-thinking his tone.

Dave had already lost the love of his life to Edge before and he wasn't about to take chances with Trish. Concluding that nothing was going to get accomplished by remaining angry at her, Dave headed downstairs to get his girlfriend. He opened the door and found Trish on the steps, wiping her eyes and muffling her tears.

Dave closed the door behind him and sat on the steps beside her. "Come inside, Honey."

"So you can treat me like a dog again?" She sniffled.

He put his arms around her. "Trisha…"

"Dave, I know girls who have put up bullshit treatment with their boyfriends, alright? I know girls who let their men call them names and what-not because they know they're going to get really nice gifts in return." She wiped her cheeks more. "Yeah, I shouldn't have been out with those guys tonight. Yeah, maybe I should've stay home. But I do know I didn't deserve you treating me the way you did."

Dave kissed the side of Trish's head. "I won't disrespect you again, Trisha. And I mean that. You mean too much to me and I don't want to lose you."

Trish leaned against Dave's chest and let her crying subside. After going back inside to retrieve a blanket and pillows, Dave led Trish to a nearby hammock. They both spent the night staring at the stars in the dark sky. As Trish fell asleep in the hammock, Dave was briefly awakened by the presence of the Family returning.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Everything is alright." Melina said. "She was a talkative bitch. Wah-wah-wah, blah-blah-blah."

London approached Dave. "There's going to be problems, man."

"What problems?"

"Man, we dropped her off at her place but when we looked out the window, we saw the Brood pull up." Nitro said. "They followed us. Once they spotted us, they disappeared."

Dave rolled his eyes. "Surprise, surprise. Alright, first thing tomorrow morning, we're going to get Trish's belongings. She's moving in here."

"In here?" Melina yelled.

"Is there a problem, Melina?" Dave asked.

Melina quickly changed her tone and dropped her head. "No, Dave, there isn't."

"Good. We're going to set up a system where Trish is followed everywhere until I turn her, which is going to happen soon." Dave said. "And then we'll take it from there."

"Alright." They said in unison. "We'll take it from there. 'Night, Dave."

"Night, kids."

Dave covered him and Trish with the blankets more as the Family entered the home. The last few days were emotionally and mentally challenging for the couple as they adjusted to each other. But Dave was feeling more than just protective of Trish. He truly loved and cherished her. And he wasn't about to have anything happen to her. _I'll kill Edge and Jeff before they lay a finger on her. _

Moments later, Taker appeared from the darkness and approached Dave. "So what happened tonight?"

"We almost got into with the Brood." Dave said as Trish adjusted her position. "They followed her roommate home so Trish is going to live here now."

"As she should." Take agreed. "What about the roommate?"

"I don't know." Dave shrugged.

Taker looked at his watch and thought about the possibilities. He would be surprised if Stacy was still alive. "She's probably dead. Alright, soon and I mean real soon, Trish needs to get turned. If they know where she lives, they're going to kill her."

Dave held Trish a little tighter. "I know."

"Keep me posted." Taker said before he disappeared into the night.

Dave looked down at his girlfriend and once again kissed her head. He didn't have a few more months, weeks or even days to turn Trish.

Trish needed to be turned as soon as possible. And Dave knew Edge's intentions were anything but pure. If Dave and Taker weren't going to kill Trish, Edge was more than willing to see that she met her demise.

-----------------------------------------------

The Brood entered Trish's apartment, looking for her. They opened cabinets and doors and whatever they could find. Searching high and low for Trish, they concluded that she was nowhere to be found.

"She's not here." Jeff said to Edge.

"Damn it!" Edge stomped his foot.

"Her roommate is here, though." Carlito motioned to Stacy's room.

Edge walked over to the kitchen counter and slammed his hand down on it. "I wanted the blonde." He calmed down long enough to reformulate his plan. "Okay, let's do this. We're getting the roommate. I'll deal with Dave and Trish later."

Entering Stacy's bedroom, they set their eyes on Stacy, who was sleeping peacefully. Her long blonde hair cascaded her face and her bed sheets hugged her curvy body. Looking around her roommate, the Brood discovered that she was also a fan of the occult; with various books on witches, vampires, and the afterlife.

Quickly snorting a line of cocaine to clear his thoughts, Edge pulled back the sheets and opened Stacy's legs. Disrobing his clothing, he climbed on top of her and quickly moved inside her. Stacy was quickly sobered up once she realized what was happening. She was too confused and incoherent to realize that the rest of the Brood were watching them have sex.

As Edge flicked his tongue against Stacy's, he caressed her body with his free hand. Stacy wrapped her legs around him tighter as she felt her body prepare for an orgasm. Once she had an orgasm, Edge's fangs appeared and he sunk them into Stacy's neck. Stacy's life quickly disappeared as her eyes turned black and breathing became shallow.

Edge quickly got off Stacy and watched her living soul slowly morph into the afterlife. Moments later, Stacy was born again—with grey eyes, an intense expression and wicked aura what was prevalent.

She adjusted her vision and looked around her. "What happened to me?" She asked.

Lilian smiled and walked over to her. "Welcome to the Brood."


	13. Misery and Pleasure

_FBI agents rushed outside their vehicles as they surrounded the apartment complex. Several ushered inside to R-27, their final destination. Once at the apartment in question, the agents waited for the woman to pack as quickly as possible so they could escort her down to the SUV waiting for her._

_She then was taken to a residence that was purposely secluded and heavily surveilled at all times. She was not allowed to leave the residence at any given time and whatever she wanted was brought to her. It was no mystery that associates of the killers were after the woman and she needed as much protection as possible. _

Trish sighed as she waited in the dark SUV. The Family was outside the vehicle going over their game plan for what seemed like the umpteenth time. _You know what this reminds me of? This reminds me of a lot that happened nine years ago. Only I'm having the dead wanting to kill me. Talk about irony. _

Trish was barely sleeping a few hours before Dave woke her up and told her what was happening. There was no room for debate or discussion as Dave instructed her to retrieve only her important items and leave behind anything else that can be replaced.

While Trish understood exactly what was happening and why she needed to live with Dave and the Family, she was also saddened by the situation. While certain things in her life could be changed, she was comfortable with how things were and where her life was going. Now there wasn't the slightest guarantee if she would be alive tonight.

Dave opened a door and sat down beside Trish. "Should I even ask how you're feeling?"

"Scared." She replied softly.

Dave wished he had the right words to say to her. He wished he could tell her that everything will be okay and that this was just a temporary fix. But he knew Edge too well. And he knew what The Brood was capable of. The only thing temporary would be The Brood's handling of potential victims—and they had their eyes set on Trish and Stacy. "I understand."

Trish's eyes were steadily watching the trees move lightly to the soft wind. Her index finger was resting above her upper lip as she tried to get a grasp on what was occurring in her life. "What's going to happen to me?"

"You need to be turned." He replied.

Trish didn't mistake what Dave meant. She knew exactly what he was referring to. Her life as she knew it would be changed forever. How she ate, when she slept; even how she survived would be turned upside-down. Trish sighed as she kept her focus on the tree's movement. The simplicity of watching a tree was having surprising calming effect on her. "When?"

"As soon as possible."

"And what if I don't?"

Dave thought about his conversations with Rock and Taker. But he couldn't bear to bring himself to tell his girlfriend that she would die regardless. "There's no guarantee how much longer you'll live." He admitted.

Trish breathed a heavy sigh. Her sitting in the SUV, talking to Dave was a huge risk within itself. There was no doubt that she was definitely the hunted. "I just have one question about all of this…"

"Yes?"

Trish turned to Dave and held his face within her hands. Tears were forming in her eyes and they slowly moved down her cheeks. "Will you protect me?"

For the first time in all of his being, Dave felt an overwhelming urge to protect someone he was close to. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Trish meant everything to him and he would kill and destroy whoever he needed to in order to protect her. "Yes."

-------------------------------------------------------

Dave got out of the SUV and the Family surrounded him. "Listen, kids. Chances are Edge and his little minions are still at Trish's apartment. And they probably got to Stacy while they were having fun. One of you stay inside the truck while the other two escort her inside her place. She is not to be left alone at any time whatsoever."

"What if we run into Edge or the Brood? Can we kill them?" London asked with a smile and lighted eyes.

"Yeah, can we Dave?" Nitro nodded his head like a puppy.

Dave nodded. "By any means necessary."

Dave, Taker, and Rock watched the Family load up and speed off into the night. Placing a hand on Dave's shoulder, Taker spoke first. "You know what this means right?"

Dave nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"It's on." Rock finished.

----------------------------------------------------

Upon arriving at Trish's complex, London stayed inside the SUV while Nitro and Melina accompanied Trish upstairs to her apartment. Both were carefully checking for evidence that the Brood was still present as they walked Trish to her front door. When she entered her place, they were surprised to see that Stacy was awake—and alive.

"Good morning." She greeted with a smile. "Nice for you to come home, finally."

Trish walked inside as Nitro and Melina were steadily behind her. Trish studied her best friend's face as something was awkwardly different about her. Her whole aura was of a different mood and it made Trish very uncomfortable. "Ooh, I see you brought guests." Stacy smiled.

Nitro and Melina immediately picked up on Stacy's new attitude. _She's one of them, _they both thought. Through telepathy and knowing she didn't have enough powers to sense what they were saying, Nitro instructed Melina to watch Stacy while he supervised Trish.

"Yeah, they're just here for a second. We'll be on our way soon." Trish said.

"Oh, please. Stay for a while." Stacy smiled.

Trish went straight to her bedroom and quickly began packing with Nitro standing at her bedroom door. She grabbed all of her clothing and personal belongings such as family pictures and mementos throughout the years. She stopped briefly to glance at a picture of her and her family on her 21st birthday. She had what she thought was the world's biggest smile while her parents and brother flanked her on the Harley.

She gently caressed it the picture and tucked it away in her suitcase. She sighed as yet another aspect of her life was slowly fading away. She shook her head to relief her thoughts and concentrated back on packing.

Meanwhile, Stacy was finishing up her manicure as Melina stared at her. Stacy held out her hands to show. "How do they look? Do they look nice?" Stacy asked.

Melina smirked and continued to stare. Stacy shrugged as she cleaned off the coffee table and put away the nail file. "I think they look pretty nice." She then got up and walked over to Melina. She was face to face with Melina, who didn't blink once. Once again, Stacy began to smile. "Did you want to see them in person?"

Melina shook her head and licked her lips. "Don't even fucking try it, Lili." She said without taking her eyes off Stacy.

Stacy looked at Melina with a confused expression on her face. Melina snapped her head to her right and grabbed Stacy by the throat, lifting her from the ground. Melina smiled at Lilian as Stacy struggled to free herself. "One more move and the blonde bitch gets it."

Lilian began clapping her hands together. She walked towards Melina and smiled at her. "Bra-vo. Bra-vo. That was pretty impressive there, Melina."

Melina didn't let go of Stacy and continued to glare at her nemesis. "You want her to die now? I can make it happen."

"Her, I wouldn't be so concerned with." Lilian smiled. "I think blondie in the bedroom is more of your priority." Lilian made a gesture with her mouth. "And I remember correctly, I think she's all alone!"

"You need to start taking some memory pills for that shit." Melina grinned. She tightened her grip on Stacy's neck as she kept kicking at her. "You need to tell her to be chill or I'll make her afterlife a brief stint."

Lilian stomped her foot as Stacy kept trying to escape Melina's clutches. Melina was beating Lilian at own game and she hated it. "Stacy, stop it." Lilian instructed.

The moment Stacy stopped kicking around, Melina released her grip and Stacy instantly fell to the ground. "I think we're done here, Lili."

Lilian stepped closer to Melina, who in turn pulled out a sharp knife. "You want some?"

"What are you going to do? Cut my hair?" Lilian teased.

"I was hoping to make your face look better than the fucked-up shit it is." Melina suggested.

Lilian got out a knife she had hidden in her garter belt. "I dare you, little girl."

Steadily holding one knife and whipping out another that was hidden in her bustier, Melina was ready to battle. "It'll be my absolute orgasmic pleasure to kill you." She taunted.


	14. Don't Damn Me

"Okay, I'm done here." Trish said as she zipped up her last bag.

Nitro walked over to her. "You doing alright?"

Trish nodded. "Yeah, it'll just take some time for me to get used to, you know?"

Nitro rubbed her back. "I know it's easy and trust me, I know all too well what you're going through. But me, Melina, and London are here for you. Whatever you want or need, just let us know."

Trish hugged Nitro. "Thank you."

Nitro wrapped his arms around Trish. "You're welcome."

"Well, let's go." Trish picked up a bag and started to head out her bedroom until she remembered one last thing she was leaving behind. "Wait! I have one more thing to get. It's in the bathroom!" She dropped her bag and headed towards the bathroom.

Nitro watched Trish walk back to the bathroom until he realized the door was closed. "Trish, stop!" He called out.

"Nitro, it'll be just…"

Nitro quickly beat Trish to the bathroom door and stood in front of her. "You vampires really gotta stop the sneaking on people shit." Trish shook her head.

"I can't let you go in there." He warned.

"Nitro, I'll be fine. I just need to get something out of there."

"No, you don't." Nitro shook his head. He then turned to the bathroom door and kicked the door open.

"Ow." A voice echoed from the bathroom.

Trish immediately clung to Nitro as he stood in a fighting stance. Moments later, the door creaked open and Jeff rubbed his forehead. "Man, that hurt."

"And I'm about to make you hurt more in a minute." Nitro grinned.

Jeff slowly walked out and stood just inches away from Nitro. He smiled down at Trish. "Nice to see you again, Trish."

Trish hid behind Nitro more and he wrapped his arms behind her. "What do you want, Hardy?"

Jeff nodded towards Trish. "I think it's pretty obvious."

"Back away, man." Nitro warned as he stepped behind.

Jeff caught onto Nitro's vulnerability and inched towards him. "Or you'll do what?"

Nitro shook his head. "I'm not telling you."

Jeff put his hands in front of his face and began waving his fingers. "Boooooo…" He taunted.

"Man, back off." Nitro said as he kept backing away.

Jeff shrugged and put his hands on his hips. "Nitro, I'm not going to do anything…"

Barely touching Jeff, Nitro picked him up and slammed him against the wall, causing Jeff to crash through Trish's bedroom and into the living room. Nitro walked through the hole and over towards Jeff. He smiled down at him. "Just because I'm quiet doesn't mean I won't hand your ass to you."

----------------------------------------

_I knew they were going to take too long. I knew I should've brought my porn. _

London was tapping the steering wheel as he waited for Nitro and Melina to finish off the Brood. Flipping through the satellite music channels, he was incredibly bored. _Why don't they have a satellite porn station? I'm sure a lot of people will subscribe to that._

Just when London was getting ready to get out of the SUV and see what was going on, he felt a slight movement on the hood. London shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I don't mind if you want to fight me," He muttered. "But I do mind if you're going to be stupid about it." London started the truck and sped off. He made a sharp right turn and abruptly stopped, causing Carlito to go flying off the hood.

London smiled and started the SUV. He drove back to Trish's apartment and got out of the SUV. He folded his arms and looked at the sky. "And five, four, three , two…."

Within seconds, Carlito was in London's face. He was staring down at him and gripping his machete. London smiled at his nemesis as he admired the various cuts and scratches on him. "Hello there, Carlito. What brings you here?"

"That's real funny." Carlito replied.

"It is, isn't it?" London smiled.

Carlito gripped his machete tighter and raised it above his head. He moved the machete towards London's neck and held it inches away. "Give me a reason to use this on you." Carlito dared.

London shrugged. "I don't have one, man."

Carlito smiled. "That's what I thought."

"Except maybe this one," London reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a pair of black lace panties. "You might want to give these back to your sister. She was tasty piece of ass last night."

London's teasing was all Carlito needed and he raised the machete again and quickly swung it towards London's neck. London quickly ducked and speared Carlito before the machete made contact with his neck. Both men tossed and tumbled all over the street in a fierce struggle.

Eventually, Carlito managed to get on top of London and once again raised the machete above him. "Good-bye, dumb ass."


	15. Reluctant Acceptance

_Author's Note: Thank you to all for the wonderful reviews! This story has really surprised me in its popularity and interest. _

_--------------------------------------------_

With his mind, London turned Carlito's machete into fire. Carlito quickly panicked and dropped the machete. London moved out of the way before the machete dropped. Carlito shook his hand and watched London mentally move the machete and made it dissipate. Carlito was dumbfounded as he watched London's tricks. "How did you do that?" He asked.

"Yeah, like I'm really going to tell you." London smirked.

Within seconds, the other Brood members were flying out of the apartment complex. The all landed hard on the street pavement in front of Carlito. Nitro and Melina walked out, wearing smiles. Trish was standing behind them, carrying her duffel bags.

"If you want more, come and get some." Melina dared.

Lilian and Jeff helped pick up Stacy while Carlito stood in front of the Brood. "This isn't over, punks." He warned.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." London waved a hand at him. "You might want to do something about your lack of clothing."

"My lack of clothing?" Carlito looked down. To his surprise, him and the other members of the Brood were bare naked. The quickly ran for cover and disappeared into the night. Nitro and Melina gathered Trish's belongings and escorted her to the SUV while London got into the driver's seat.

After being through a tortuous night, Trish sighed as she tried to grasp what happened in the past 24 hours of her life. She found out that her lover and his friends were vampires. Her best friend was turned into a vampire by her boyfriend's enemies. And above all, she was the hunted and it seemed like everyone wanted her dead.

Nitro turned towards Trish in the backseat. "How are you feeling?"

Trish shook her head as she ran a hand through her blonde hair. "I think I need to take a nap."

-----------------------------

Melina, Trish, Nitro, and London walked into the home after a weary night of fighting. Dave, Rock, and Taker got up from the dining room table and greeted The Family. Trish immediately ran over to Dave and embraced him. "I missed you." She whispered.

Dave wrapped his arms around Trish's back and held her tight. "I missed you, too, Honey."

Rock walked over to Nitro, London and Melina. "How did it go?" He asked.

London smiled as he remembered the last few moments of the standoff. While he wasn't particularly happy of almost being decapitated by Carlito, London's big payoff was seeing the nice set of tits Lilian and Stacy had. "Oh, it was entertaining." He beamed.

"Sick-ass pervert." Melina shook her head.

London rolled his eyes. "Was that supposed to be insulting? I think I have the wall decorations to prove your point."

Melina shook her head and turned her attention to Rock. "It's far from over. They got Stacy."

"Of course, they did." Rock smirked. "Was Edge there?"

"Surprisingly, no." Nitro said with a questionable look on his face. "I'm not sure where he went to."

Taker didn't blink twice hearing the news. Edge was known to always plan ahead and conspire whenever it was convenient for him. And there wasn't a doubt in Taker's mind that Edge probably had around-the-clock surveillance on the home. "Oh, I have a few ideas."

Trish pulled away from Dave upon hearing Taker's voice. She turned towards his direction and walked over to him. "You were the one that fixed my bike." She said.

"Yes, I was." Taker nodded. "Welcome to the Family."

Trish motioned for him to bend to her level and he complied. Trish surprised him by giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

Taker smiled. "You're welcome."

Members of the Family looked at each other. For the first time that anyone can remember, Taker smiled. Even when he threatened someone, he never so much blinked an eye. "What's that?" Nitro whispered to Melina and London.

"It looks like a…smile." Rock replied. All four then cocked their heads to the side. "How about that?" They said in unison.

"Actually…" Trish turned towards Taker. "Can I talk to you and Dave for a minute?"

The Family looked amongst each other with questionable looks on their faces. They were confused as to what Trish could want to speak to Taker about. Even Dave was wondering what was going on. "Sure, right this way." Taker walked towards the library.

-----------------------

Taker and Dave led Trish to the library. Taker motioned her to sit in front at a nearby table and he sat across from her while Dave sat beside her. "I need to ask you both for permission." Trish said quietly.

"For?" Taker asked.

"I want to wait a while before I get turned. I just need time to think about this. Can I at least have some time to think and get acquainted?" She explained.

"I understand your concern but time is running out for you. The Brood is gunning for you." Taker replied.

"I know and I know how serious the situation is. But you can't expect me to turn like that?" Trish snapped her fingers. "I need time to process all of this. At least let me learn about The Family and possibly get prepared for what's going to happen."

Dave and Taker nodded. Trish was right; she needed more time and they both understood. Even Dave silently admitted that Trish wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared for what was to come. But time was seriously creeping away from them. "Okay, I have a solution." Taker stated.

Trish grabbed Dave's hand for security. "Yes?"

"You'll have two weeks. But you are to never leave this home at any time, you got that? That even means going out for some fresh air. Any chance the Brood has to get to you, they will take. I'll talk to the kids about what's going on and I'll instruct each one of them to have a one-on-one session with you."

Trish looked over at Dave and nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"But you only have two weeks. I strongly suggest you use that time wisely. Two weeks from today, you're getting turned—bottom line, no debate." Taker said sternly.

"And what about my job and school?" Trish asked.

"You're quitting and dropping out." Dave replied.

"Okay." Trish bent her head down as she slowly began to accept her fate. Two weeks wasn't nearly enough for her; she felt as if she needed much more time. But the one thing she has gathered from the Family was that there was never room for debate when it came to Taker. "Well, I do have one more request?"

"Go ahead." Taker replied.

"If I have to quit my job, could you do me a huge favor?"

"Depends on what it is." He replied.

"Could you kill my boss?" Trish asked.

Dave remembered the first time he met Randy. He would've shrugged off the first meeting as a first bad impression if it wasn't for the fact that every subsequent encounter proved how much of an asshole Randy really was. From security guards refusing Dave entry into the bar to Randy making Trish work in new "uniforms" consisting of a barely hanging on bikini and halter tops, Dave has been itching for payback.

"Gladly." Dave replied.


	16. Payback

_She better have a damn good excuse for being late. _

Randy glanced down at his watch for the third time in ten minutes. Trish was supposed to start her shift at 7:00, setting up the bar and getting it ready for the influx of patrons. She was now running a good 45 minutes late with no phone call.

_Maybe she wants to be fired, _Randy smirked.

Just when Randy was about get on his phone and curse her out, Trish strolled through the bar. Wearing black hot pants and a matching halter, Trish smiled at the bouncers and headed straight to the employee room with Randy on her tail. She then stowed her purse and helmet in her locker and slammed the door, just to be greeted by a smirking Randy Orton.

"Yes, Orton?"

"You're late. You almost got fired tonight." He warned.

Trish feigned worry and then shrugged. "I promise not to do it again." She smiled and proceeded to head out to the bar with Randy once again following her.

The Wood had a scent about it that one could not explain. It was not musty but hot. It was not a stench but warmth that one would find a makeshift bar down in the bayou. There was the atmosphere of being at home, being amongst friends. Everyone had the same issues and similar problems but for one night, none of that mattered.

Trish sighed as she reminisced on what she would miss. The dueling piano shows between Sam "The Man" and Rick "Too Slick." Patrons flirted and sang amongst each other. The one patron betting his friends to see if he could score with the hot blonde bartender, only to be shut down right in front of his boys. Trish and Mickie would talk to five in the morning about how much of an asshole Randy was before switching over to what facial recipes worked best for large pores. Trish impressing everyone with her knowledge of homemade hangover remedies.

She let out a deep sigh as she concentrated on her job. _Oh, the memories. _She then eyeballed the well liquors to see if they were full and checked behind to see if she needed to restock any of the top shelf liquors. Being organized was giving her a feeling of reassurance that she desperately needed. "I think I'm all set." She thought aloud.

Randy stood directly behind her and grabbed onto Trish's hips. He briefly wondered how she was able to get into the hot pants but it didn't matter for he knew it would take a minute for her to get out of them. "I say that you're all set."

Trish shuddered upon Randy's touch. Besides the fact that she absolutely loathed him, she didn't appreciate Randy forcing himself on another's man woman. _Ooh, I can't wait until Dave kills you. _"Let go, Orton."

He leaned down and brushed his lips against her earlobe. "You owe me, Stratus. Tonight." He then walked away.

Trish then shook her body as if she was trying to get fleas off her. She then watched Randy flirt with another employee and lead her back into his office. The one thing Trish would definitely not miss was Randy abusing his power every chance he had. He knew many of the employees were college students and he had the best paying job in town. And every chance he had, Randy took advantage of that fact.

If she wanted, Trish could convince Dave and Taker to let her return once she turned. But there was something strangely wicked about knowing Randy's demise that made her smile. "Oh, you're going to get exactly what you deserve, Orton. All of it."

-----------------------------

Closing up shop at three in the morning, Trish wiped off the counter. She counted her last tips and proceeded to go to the employee room. She sat down on one of the benches and looked up at her locker. Her life, as she knew it, would be changed forever. Her heart was heavy and Trish found herself trying to calm down. While she was not going to die, Trish Stratus wasn't going to be alive, neither. And she only had two weeks to prepare herself for what was to come.

However, all of the thoughts of despair were quickly hushed upon Randy's entrance into the employee room. "Stratus, can you see me in my office?" He demanded.

"Yeah, sure." Trish grabbed her helmet and purse and proceeded towards Randy's office.

Trish reluctantly walked into Randy's office. Usually executive offices were structured and organized. Everything would be in place and neatly arranged. Normally an executive's office was neat with a few stacks of correspondence that needed sorting out. If there was a word that could describe Randy Orton's office, unprofessional was it.

But Trish stepped into what she and several co-workers have coined, "The Dungeon." Sporadic files and miscellaneous checks lay around Randy's office. Randy often had to step over files to get to his desk chair.

Yet, the one that was devoid of trash was the casting couch—the long chocolate-colored leather sofa that was flanked by two end tables with accessible bowls full of condoms. Just like the Hollywood directors who would convince young and hungry actresses to perform salacious acts for a role, Randy often used his wealth and charm to convince a girl a strip naked and blow him. He boasted of his success rate, almost ninety percent. Those who did not perform were not called back for second interviews. Those who did were instantly hired.

Trish was the exception. She wasn't interview by Randy, rather his business partner. Yet Randy did not worry; he knew at some point, he was going to tag Trish. Now, his time has come. "Have a seat, Stratus." He motioned towards the couch.

Trish was afraid to sit down. Lord knows what hidden secretions were on it. _Just get through this and it'll be fine, Stratus._ She carefully sat down; making sure her rear was barely on the sofa. "Yes?"

Randy stood in front of her, smirking. He always knew he could tame the hot-tempered blonde. There was on uneasiness in her eyes, nervousness in her demeanor. And it was exactly where he wanted her.. "I need to talk to you about your poor attitude. You know I've put up with it for a year but you seriously need to change it."

"Fine, I'll change." Trish got up and headed towards the door. Randy rushed over towards Trish and closed the door just as fast as she opened it. "You need to convince me why I shouldn't fire you."

_Right about now, I don't think it really matters. _"I told you it was going to change, Orton."

Randy locked the door and stroked Trish's neck with his index finger. He moved her blonde hair aside and breathed against her neck. The scent she wore made him crave her. Her very presence made him want not only to screw her but permanently mark her as his own.

Trish closed her eyes and pretended to enjoy what Randy was doing to her. His breath was hot and reeked of several beers. His sweat was running down his face and dripped onto her. In addition, for the life of Trish, she could not possibly fathom what anyone saw in Randy. _This is fuckin' disgusting. _

She wrapped her arms around his neck as picked her up and laid her down on the sofa. Her stood up to unbuckle his pants and unbutton his shirt while Trish teased Randy by merely unzipping her halter. The tiny fabric barely covered her large breasts and the nipples poked through.

Randy licked his lips in growing anticipation. "You ready, Stratus?"

Trish shook her head. "Not really." She nodded over Randy's right shoulder. "But he is."

Randy was confused. "But who…" He turned around and met Dave's eyes. Randy nearly jumped out of his skin upon seeing Dave. "Dude, how the…"

Before Randy could finish his sentence, Dave sent him flying across the room and slammed into a wall. Randy immediately rushed towards Dave, who froze Randy in time. Dave nodded towards Trish to finish him.

She zipped up her top and walked over to Randy. He was in a lunge pose with his head hanging down. "Is he dead?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, no." Dave replied.

"How long will he stay like this?"

"A couple hours, give or take." Dave glanced at his watch. "Honey, we don't have a lot of time here."

"Okay, okay." Trish then stood back and kicked Randy's face. The first kick relieved a lot of pent-up aggression so she repeated the motion. She clawed at his face and spat on him. Although Dave was sure Trish was getting payback from her treatment, he also knew there was more to her anger. She was retaliating against her family's killers. She was getting her aggression out when she didn't have the chance. For Trish, beating Randy was giving her a sense of twisted closure.

Normally Dave would let Trish attack Randy all night. However, the two hours were nearly exhausted and they need to leave before anyone saw them. "One last shot, Baby." Dave warned.

Trish nodded as she wiped the sweat off her brow. "Okay." She needed to make it good one. With a jumping kick, Trish knocked Randy over, subsequently getting him out of the still state. Randy was about to rush towards Dave again, only to find himself temporary immobile.

Dave walked over to Randy and kneeled in front of him. "You're only alive because Trish felt sympathy towards your pathetic self. But I can guarantee you, you won't ever need to use those condoms again."

"Dude, I'm calling the…" And just as Dave appeared out of thin air, so were he and Trish vanished as if they never existed.

---------------------------------

On the way home, Trish held onto Dave's wrist as he sped her Harley back to his home. While she was still uneasy about turning, her payback on Randy was all the validation and resolution she needed in her living state. Dave turned off the bike and Trish immediately hopped off. He pulled her close and smiled at her. "I'm proud of you, Honey."

Trish blushed. "You are?"

"I am." Dave smiled. "You handled your business with the executive and grace the Family is known for. I'm proud of you and I know the Family is as well."

"Thank you, Baby." Trish kissed him.

"You're welcome." Dave then raised an eyebrow. "But I don't think you exposing your breasts were a part of the plan."

"I didn't expose them, David!" Trish smiled. "My nipples were firmly covered!"

"Your nipples were barely covered." He scoffed as they walked into the home.

"Oh my!" Trish feigned worry. "Is somebody jealous?" She teased.

Dave shot Trish a disbelieving look. "No. I just don't want anyone seeing my woman's breasts." He explained as he copped a feel. "These are my breasts."

Trish brushed Dave's hands away and folded her arms. "Oh, these are yours?"

"Damn right." He said as he led her upstairs.

She shrugged. "I guess it shouldn't matter if you don't see them tonight."

"Now, now, Honey. Let's not be irrational…."


	17. Pure Evil

The atmosphere was anything but pleasant and sweet. Rats constantly scurried on the floor and on the walls. The floors were dingy grey for so long, no one remembered what the original color was. The drapery was torn and barely hanging onto already broken rods. The house was not a shack but it was far from being a home. It was dirty, filthy even. The yard was unkempt and anything that was broken remained that way.

It was Champagne Hill. It was the home that the Brood built.

Edge was in his makeshift study, a room that used to be a bathroom and still functioned as one whenever there was an available corner. He was replaying the satellite video camera on the Family's home. He was not able to get close enough for audio or zoom in to lip read. But he knew Dave and Trish were up to something. He could smell it. He could taste it. _I wonder what they're up to. _

He rewound the tape to study Trish and Dave's interactions. She was standing between his legs and her arms were draped over his shoulders. They were laughing and talking as if there was not a care in the world. With Trish officially living with the Family, there was no way to get to her. Nevertheless, Edge was determined to find any weakness. Moreover, he knew there was one—he just had to find one.

Just when he was getting to rewind the tape yet again, Edge was interrupted by the arguing and shouting that accompanied the fellow Brood members. Edge tried to ignore the bickering but it was to no avail. All of the Brood members were determined to blame each other for what went awry.

Lilian was the perfect counterpart to Melina. Also small and fiery, Lilian often portrayed herself as a damsel in distress to get her victims. One by one, she would eat men alive as she pretended to be lost, had a flat tire, or just needed some company. With her doe brown eyes, shiny blonde hair and warm demeanor, it was no surprise she was considered to be the mother of the Brood.

Carlito was the answer to London. He, too, had a sarcastic reply for everything. He was Edge's right hand man and always killed his victims with a smile that hinted that he was getting more than a simple satisfaction. He had a youthful face and street smarts that kept him connected to the streets. His hair was a wild mane, consisting part afro and part massive hair ball. He had soft eyes and full lips that warmed the girl's hearts—and their veins.

Finally, there was Jeff. Like his nemesis Nitro, Jeff was very quiet and often did his own thing. However, his demeanor stood out the most in the Brood. He painted and wrote poetry about life and the living. He constantly dyed his hair to match whatever mood he was feeling and was often in deep thought.

"It was your damn fault, Carlito!" Lilian screamed.

"My damn fault? I wasn't the one who made like Superman and went flying, ya dumb shit." Carlito scoffed.

"Yeah, because you were real big with that toy knife you had." Lilian retorted.

"I think both of you are stupid." Jeff said quietly as he walked upstairs to his room.

Carlito and Lilian looked at each other and then turned on Jeff. "It's your damn fault!" They said in unison.

Suddenly, the Brood was quiet when a cold chill entered the room. No one could ever understand if he brought the chill factor with him or it just happened to be cold at the place he was coming from. But it didn't matter. Once he entered the room, all eyes were on him and all thoughts were quickly silenced.

His dark blonde hair was wet and framed his face. His jaw line was rugged and sharp with heavy eyes and a protruding nose. His physique was massive, comprising of a statuesque figure. He never spoke much but when he did, it was always pertinent to whatever situation present. He cynically laughed at the mere torture of his victims and often thought of new ways to kill them. He could change his persona from a high school jock to an executive to the guy next door with supreme agility.

His name spoke for how he acquired his victims: Hunter.

He walked to the Brood members and looked them over. With a sneer, he said one word. "Go." He directed.

The Brood members quickly hurried to their rooms and closed the doors behind them. Hunter walked over to Edge and pointed him to sit at the dining room table. Edge rolled his eyes and reluctantly sat down. "I know what you're about to say, man and…"

Hunter held up a hand to silence Edge. Just as Taker was mentor to the Family, Hunter was mentor to the Brood. His sharp mind never slept and the Brood members often wondered if Hunter actually did sleep. His commanding presence still brought a frostiness to Edge, despite the fact that he has known Hunter for close to 200 years.

"I just have one question tonight," Hunter began to say, "How?"

"Man, look…"

"I mean, how were you able to fuck up such a simple task? It's not that hard, Edge. It really isn't. You were supposed to kill the roommate. But did you? No, you didn't. Instead, you genially thought to turn her. But can she kill? No, she can't." Hunter smiled and shook his head. "Wow, I should really kill your ass for being so stupid."

"Hey, I thought she would get Trish and we'll be able to get into the Family, alright?" Edge defended. "I knew what I was doing, Hunter."

"No, you didn't know what you were doing because the Brood got their asses handed to them by some hyena-screaming bitch, a pussy, and a porn-freak—not that there's anything wrong with that—but you get the point."

"I know, alright?" Edge raised his voice. "I'm working on a plan."

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "What genius plan is this? How to Get Your Ass Whipped, Part Two?"

"Look, Hunter, I'll handle it, alright?"

Hunter rolled his eyes. "Yeah, just like how you handled tonight with such class and precision."

"I wasn't there to watch them!" Edge defended.

"And that argument is supposed to convince me, how?" Hunter asked as he shook his head. "There's a weakness with them. You just need to find that weakness."

"Well, duh." Edge said before Hunter slapped the back of his head. "You're telling me shit that I already know, man."

"Oh really? Then what is the weakness?" Hunter asked.

"Well, it's…well, it's…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Hunter said. "There is one thing that will make all of them—including Batista, Rock and Taker—fall to their knees. Something that will shake the core of the Family. "

"Easier said than done, Hunter." Edge commented. He then turned to him. "Do you know what the weakness is, by chance?"

"It's not that difficult to figure out. Just think about it. All you have to do is wait and see." Just as he arrived, Hunter disappeared into the night.

Edge sat at the dining room contemplating his next course of action. The Family had a definite weakness and it was Trish. Yet, with constant protection around her, there was no way she was going to be out of Dave's sight for long. Edge shook his head as he realized Trish was the most obvious answer. There was more to the solution; something that was not obviously present.

Suddenly, Edge smiled big as he recognized the answer. _Perfect. This will bring the Family down once and for all. _Edge leaned back into his chair and put his feet on the table. He went over the answer again in his head to make sure it was correct and there was not a single doubt. And with its arrival, Edge was determined to destroy the Family once and for all.


	18. Let the Battle Begin!

It had to have been the most comfortable bed she has ever slept in. She wouldn't even begin to think of how many count the comforter was nor did she care at the moment. She was gliding on ecstasy. She had to admit; one of the definite benefits of being a vampire's girlfriend was the affluence and luxury she was not accustomed to. Whatever she wanted was taken care of and there was no limit to the amount of money that Dave or other Family members spent on her. Moreover, with Dave's high-maintenance taste, Trish did not have a concern in the world.

That is—until she went to bed at night. Then she was a little scared.

For the past three nights, Trish awakened to muffled sounds and cries. At first, she thought it was Nitro and Melina but the sounds were not obvious lovemaking noises. It was too distant. The sounds resonated as if they were embedded within the walls of the mansion. Immediately, Trish's mind went into overdrive. What poor soul was crying out for help? What tortured victim was coming back to haunt The Family? How many nights have Dave and The Family slept peacefully while the families of the loved ones grieved?

Enough was enough for Trish. Hastily, she began shoving Dave. "Dave, wake up!"

"What? What is it?" He mumbled.

"Your house is haunted!" She said, frightened.

"No, it's not, Trisha. Go to back to sleep now, Honey." Dave rolled over.

Trish stared down at her lover. _You unsympathetic asshole. _She began shoving him again. "Wake up, David!"

Dave's eyes flew open and turned around. He briefly thought of his life and times before Trish entered the picture. Oh how he missed his sleep and clear conscience. "Yes, dear?"

"Your house is haunted!" She cuddled up to him.

"No, it's not, Trisha. It's not haunted, Honey." He reassured her.

"Yes, it is! Listen!" Trish sat still in bed while Dave sat up with her.

Over the next several seconds, echoes of cries were heard. A small voice seeped through the walls as Trish scooted closer to Dave. "You don't hear that? Tell me you don't hear that?" She demanded.

Dave shook his head and laid back down. "The house isn't haunted, Honey. That's just London's porn."

"London's porn?" Trish said with a disgusted face. She knew the young vampire had inexplicable porn obsession but the simple fact that he watched it all the time still weirded her out. "Why is he watching porn at four in the morning?"

Dave rolled back over and faced his girlfriend. "I hope that was a rhetorical question."

Trish took the sheets off her. "I'm going to go turn that off right now."

Dave grabbed Trish's hand. "I don't think that's a smart idea."

"Why? David, I can't sleep! I'm going to be right back." Trish tried to release Dave's grip.

Dave tightened his grip on Trish's wrist. "Honey, London will kill you. And I don't mean he'll yell at you. I don't mean he'll get snippy at you. He will kill you. Now, just lay down and go back to sleep."

Trish reluctantly laid back down and covered her body with the sheets. She folded her arms across her chest and began making deep and loud sighs to express her frustration. Dave stared at Trish as she continued with her tantrum. "Are you going to keep doing that all night?"

"If I have to stay awake, you will too!" She scoffed.

Dave glared at his girlfriend. It was amazing how her little bitch fit was making him aroused. Her hazel eyes deepened and her cheeks were flushed with a rose color. Deciding that if he was going to stay awake with Trish, it was going to be something they both could benefit from. Dave pulled the covers off the bed as Trish stared in amazement.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Dave nudged Trish's legs open and hovered over her. The last three nights were torture for him and seeing his girlfriend sleep naked was too much for him to handle. "If I have to stay awake, I should at least have some fun."

---------------------------------------------

The next morning was the beginning of the instruction. Trish dubbed it as "How to be a Vampire 101." Over the next two weeks, she was going to learn everything from vampire powers to scare tactics. Luckily for Trish, her first instructor was Melina, who was going to enjoy every minute of giving Trish hell.

Meeting Trish in the library, Melina reminisced to how Dave convinced her that she needed to instruct Trish. A sexy smile formed on Melina's face as she played back the memory in her mind.

"_Listen up, children. As you are well aware, the Brood officially hunts Trish. She won't leave here at any time and whatever she wants will be catered to her, got it?" Taker instructed. "I don't want to hear any shit about this and that. If she wants something, get it for her." _

_Nitro and London nodded in agreement. "No problem." They smiled._

_Melina, however, wasn't about to start doing jumping jacks and cartwheels. She already hated Trish for the sheer fact that she was taking what Melina thought was rightfully hers. And now she had to instruct her as well? "I don't even believe this shit." Melina shook her head._

"_Problem, Melina?" Dave asked._

"_Yeah, yeah there is, **David**." She emphasized his name._

"_And I think that's our cue to get the fuck out here." London stood up._

"_I'm right behind you!" Nitro followed him out the door._

_Dave and Taker were not pleased in the slightest bit with Melina's newfound attitude. From the moment Trish stepped foot into the home, Melina has been increasingly catty towards her. While neither vampire was surprised by her way of behaving, both Dave and Taker were growing increasingly irritated with Melina's flare-ups. _

"_Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Taker spiritlessly said._

"_I don't understand why **somebody**__who's all lovey-dovey, isn't doing the work his damn self. And why in the fuck does she need to be turned anyways? The plan was to kill her so why should we stop the process?" Melina snickered._

_Taker turned towards Dave. "Do you want to handle her? Because if I do, she's gone." _

_Dave got up and approached Melina. "Melina."_

"_David." She sneered. _

_Without hesitation, Dave pulled Melina close to him. He jerked her head back and trailed his tongue against her neck, occasionally kissing her. He then lifted her up from the ground and Melina instantly wrapped her legs around Dave's waist. _

_He sat her down on the sofa and climbed on top of her. "Melina…" Dave murmured as he continued to kiss her neck. "You know you want to do this for me…"_

"_Dave…" Melina whimpered._

_Dave traced his tongue from Melina's neck to her lips, kissing her softly. He slid his hands down her legs and worked over her thighs. He softly grabbed her inner thighs and inched his fingers along her bikini line, teasing her with the prospect of entrance. "Please, Melina." He whispered while he nibbled on her earlobe. "Don't make me beg for it."_

_Melina felt an uncontrollable arousal building inside her. She has longed for many years for Dave to finally want her and taste her. And she was willing to do whatever it took to get him. "Yes, I'll do it!" She cried._

"_Good." Dave got off Melina and adjusted his shirt. "The first session is tomorrow." He nodded to Taker and both vampires began to leave the study. _

_Melina's eyes widened as she realized what just happened. The same manner she tricked her victims into giving her what she wanted, Dave used on her. "But…but…we're not done here!"_

_Dave and Taker turned around. Dave was grinning while Taker had a smirk on his face. "Oh, I think we are." Dave said as he left. _

"_Trish is going to kill you once she finds out, man." Taker shook his head._

_Dave remembered Trish's tease to Randy at The Wood. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't jealous but he knew that was exactly the case. He also figured Trish would understand to the fact. "I think I'll be okay." He grinned._

_Trish withheld sex from Dave for three days. And for Dave, that was cruel and unusual punishment._

_------------------------------------_

Melina flew into the library and slammed the door behind her. While she had a snicker on her face due to her recent thoughts, seeing Trish quickly erased anything pertinent. She sat down across from Trish and leaned over the table. "Listen, I need to make something real clear to you. I don't like you and quite frankly, I don't think I will ever like you. As far as I'm concerned, you're just Dave's playmate until something else comes along. I'm only training you because he asked me to and that is it." Melina warned.

"Melina, I don't give a damn if you did like me." Trish retorted. "As far as I'm concerned, your opinion does not matter and it probably won't ever matter."

"Oh, is that so?" Melina nodded.

"Oh, you bet your ass it is." Trish agreed. "And sweetheart, I hope you enjoyed what Dave did to you because that's the last time that shit will ever happen."


	19. The Chosen One

Over the course of the day, Trish and Melina were able to put their differences aside long enough so Trish can be schooled on being a female vamp. From using her sexuality to manipulate victims to getting a better understanding of blood consumption, Trish slowly began to grasp her fate. While she still wasn't doing cartwheels about killing anyone and drinking blood, she knew over time things will get easier and better.

Melina looked at her watch. She needed to get ready for "work" at the Candy Palace, Rock's new strip joint. She taught Trish just about everything she knew and plus some added things she needed to know in the future. As a promise to Dave and a severe threat from Taker, Melina kept her personal feelings towards Trish in check. "Are we done here, Blondie?"

Trish nodded. After learning everything from Melina—with lessons from Nitro and London to come—Trish finally realized that two weeks wasn't nearly enough. However, the choice to convince Taker to give her more time was absent. "One last question: how did you become a vampire?"

"Um, I was bitten." Melina retorted.

Trish shook her head. She was hoping Melina would give her a little more insight into her life and times but she was sorely mistaken. _A bitch will always be a bitch. _ "I think our lesson is done for the day." She got up and started to leave.

"Taker found us." Melina said, stopping Trish at the door. She turned around and walked back to her. "He found London, Johnny and me on Skid Row."

Trish immediately sensed a pattern. Taker found the trio and he mentored Dave and Rock. But there was a reason why he "found" Trish. "What happened?"

Melina let out a deep sigh as she stared at her pencil. She began fidgeting with it and started to shuffle her feet a little. "To me or to them? We all have our own fucked-up stories."

Trish sat across from Melina. "What happened to you?"

Over the next hour, Melina went into detail about her past. She was a Daddy's girl and loved her father dearly. When he suddenly passed away, Melina's mother remarried a man who was not abusive but a side pimp and drug addict as well. It was an open secret that her mother was into prostitution. It was only a matter of time before Melina began experiencing the same abuse.

"Wow." Trish said quietly. "How…why…um…"

"Trust me, I had a nice little marijuana habit that supported me." Melina hinted.

"But I don't understand," Trish said without trying to sound pretentious. "You were just a baby at the time."

"You know I have thought about it for several years, Trish. Several years of wondering why me; several years wondering why I didn't fight back; several years of wondering what would've happened if I kept the baby…" Melina's voice trailed off.

Trish knew where Melina was going. She wanted to put her arms around her but she also knew that Melina was not telling her all of that to look for a pity party. Melina shook her head violently and wiped away her tears. "I ran away hard and fast from home. I took whatever I could stuff in a backpack and I got the fuck out of there." She then smiled. "And that's where I met Johnny and London. They were on the Row doing their own things. All three of us were the Musketeers. We never left each other's sides and we always stuck together. You wouldn't believe of the mess we've gone through together."

"So how did Taker find you?"

"I turned a trick on some dude who didn't want to pay up. When Johnny and London intervened, the guy pulled out a switchblade and threatened to slice me if we didn't back off." She explained. "And that's when Taker showed up."

"Out of nowhere?"

Melina nodded. "Out of nowhere. He backhanded the guy and killed him before all of us realized what was going on." She sighed. "He saved us."

Trish was blown away. There was a reason behind Taker's protectiveness. Yet, she knew there was more to Taker being the guardian and head master of the Family. He had a purpose for choosing all of the members of the Family—especially her. _Interesting. _

"Look, Trish, we've all done shit we didn't want to do." Melina started. "We've all done shit that has made us uncomfortable. We've all done shit that we regret. So before you get started on your boohooing about how you're leaving your school and work, don't even try to look for sympathy from me, got it?"

"Understood." Trish replied.

-----------------------------------------

Trish walked out of the study and headed towards the kitchen area. She poured a glass of water and just stared out the window. The sun was going down and soft beams of sunlight still peeked through. She rested her head on her right palm and sighed. _What have I gotten myself into?_

"Problems, Blondie?" Taker asked.

Taker was a strong presence within the Family. His arms were covered in a plethora of tattoos and Trish couldn't guess how many Taker had exactly. He had sharp and penetrating eyes that always looked like a shade of hazel. Standing near seven feet tall with a mane of deep red hair, there was no mistake who was in charge. Trish thought it was funny when Dave would go from being domineering to a childlike when Taker was around. But when Trish was around him, Taker softened.

Trish was so startled by Taker's presence, she accidentally knocked over her water glass, causing it to break into pieces. "You guys really need to stop with the sneaking up shit you like to do so much." She said as she went to look for a mop.

"Don't worry about it, Blondie. I'll have the boys clean up that mess." He nodded. "How did the lesson go?"

"It went alright. I mean, I have a lot of stuff to learn still." She said.

"Well, you're not going to learn everything in two weeks." He mentioned.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. You know I'm not going to learn everything in two weeks? So why did you tell me that I only had two weeks?"

"You're not going to learn everything about being a vampire in two weeks." He clarified. "You're going to learn everything about the Family in two weeks."

"Melina already told me the story about how you saved her and the boys." Trish said. She hesitated before she asked her next question. "How long have you known about me?"

"I followed you." Taker said, nonchalantly.

"How long?"

"A while."

"Why did you save me now and not then?" She asked.

"Because you weren't ready and neither was he." Taker referred to Dave.

Everything began to make more sense to Trish. Meeting Dave in the library was not accident at all. "You chose me for him?"

"Part of the reason."

"Part of the reason?" She asked. "What's the other reason?"

Taker knew that Dave didn't tell Trish everything about his past. _But why would he? _ The mere thought that Edge was even inches close to Trish stirred up a fire within Dave that Taker hadn't seen in a long while.

Taker took a deep breath and stared out the window. "So he could get over Kimberly."


	20. Lost Love

Trish had a blank look at her face. "Kimberly? Who's Kimberly?"

Taker sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Dave's former lover. She died a long time ago."

Trish was stunned. "Um…um…"

"It's okay to be shocked, Blondie. I didn't think you knew about her." Taker said. "It's a bit of a sore subject around here."

Trish wanted to press for more questions. Dave has been so secretive about his past, he never mentioned a significant other. Nevertheless, there was a reason why she didn't know. _And it's probably better that way. _"Um, I should probably meet with London now."

Taker pulled out a chair and motioned for Trish to sit. "I suggest you get really comfortable."

Over the next hour, Taker told Trish the story of Kimberly Woods. A young woman in her mid-twenties, she was the only child of moderately wealthy parents. While she was known as the sweet Girl Next Door, it was no secret that Kimberly had a penchant for the dark side and often volunteered at the local mortuary so she can observe autopsies.

She was virginal but not quite a virgin as she had sexual experience but nothing past oral copulation. She was desired with her enticing blue eyes and bright smile. She was voluptuous with her curvaceous figure and had a sensuous essence to match. She kept her blonde hair trimmed, so that it danced against her shoulders.

Off the bat, Trish spotted numerous similarities between her and Kimberly. She was a medical student with a fascination of the afterlife. She met Dave while she was studying for an upcoming exam at the on-campus library.

She was, indeed, the precursor to Trish.

When she and Dave met, it was magnetic and electric. Dave fell hard and fast in love with her and Kimberly felt the same. She called him "Bear" in reference to his size. He named her "Sweet Baby" in reference to her caring demeanor. They never left each other's sides and spent as much time as possible with each other. Kimberly's parents immediately did not approve of Dave and forbid Kimberly to be around him. But no was not an answer for Dave and encouraged Kimberly to run away and be with him.

Within days of their courtship, Dave turned her and they were the most powerful of vampires. With training from the Queen Mother as well as Taker and Dave, Kimberly was the female vamp that many aspired to become. Taker and Dave often credited her for bringing humanity to the Family.

"She was wonderful." Taker said with a gleam in his eyes. "She was everything the Family needed. She was a strong fighter but she was soft when appropriate. She was perfect." He paused for a second. "She was great."

Trish was astounded by what she heard. Kimberly had a thunderous affect on not only Dave but Taker as well. "How long were her and Dave together?" Trish asked.

"For about 30 years." He replied.

"Do the kids know about her?"

Taker shook his head. "They know of her but they don't know the details. They know it's something that is not spoken of around here."

Trish felt her throat becoming increasingly dry and she really wished she had another glass of water. She needed to relieve her thirst but most importantly to calm her nerves. "I see."

"You're not her replacement if that's what you're thinking, Blondie."

"Well, it's hard not to think that, Taker." Trish shook her head. "I mean we sound like one and the same. We're both students, we're both blonde and petite and we both met Dave in the same manner. And you're telling me that I shouldn't be slightly freaked out by the similarities? Next thing you're going to tell me that she rode a bike as well!" Trish then stared at Taker. "She didn't have a bike, did she?"

"She walked everywhere, Blondie. Does that answer your question?" He replied flatly.

"Oh." Trish became quiet.

"If I wanted to find another Kimberly, I would've found someone else. Finding a petite blonde woman is not that hard, Blondie." He replied. "And for the record, I didn't find you. I chose you."

"But there is a reason why you just told me this story, Taker." Trish said. "You know that Dave was never going to tell me about her."

"Yes and as far as I'm concerned, he won't know that you know about her." He nodded.

"But you still didn't tell me why I know about her." Trish persisted. She hesitated again before she asked her next question. "What happened to her?"

"Edge killed her." Dave finished.


	21. Eye for an Eye

_Author's Note: Once again, thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. Just as a precaution, re-read the prologue (Chapter 1) before you read this chapter. _

_Once again, the support and love you have showed has been above and beyond overwhelming!! Thank you Thank you!!_

_-----------------------------------------------------_

Trish's eyes were frozen on her boyfriend as Dave slowly walked into the kitchen. He pulled up a chair and sat beside Trish while he maintained his focus on Taker. To say that Dave was not pleased was an understatement. His eyes were bleak and emotionless. His face was a blank stare and his demeanor was stiff. Kimberly was never spoken of in the home or anywhere for that matter.

Dave would never forget the night that Kimberly died. Edge and Dave were friends but wouldn't be considered close. When Dave met Kimberly, Edge immediately had his sights set on her. One night, he lured her into a friendly dinner with just the two of them alone. But when Kimberly was getting ready to return home to Dave, Edge stopped her.

A fierce battle took place with Kimberly defending herself aggressively against Edge. She clawed at him; threw sharp objects at him with her mind; started fireballs and hurricanes inside the building. But it wasn't enough. Knowing that she was weak, Edge surprised her with a sharp stake. He disappeared into the night before anyone caught him.

For two miles, Kimberly walked home, clutching her body. When she arrived at the mansion, she collapsed on the lawn right in front of Dave and Taker. Both vampires tried to bring life to her but it was to no avail. She was going to pass away soon and all three knew it. Taker was so distraught by the scene, he had to go inside.

"_It's okay, Bear," Kimberly whispered. "It's time for me to go." _

_Dave held onto Kimberly tight and kept rocking her body. "No, it's not, Sweet Baby. We're going to save you." _

_Kimberly coughed up more blood. She was having difficulty keeping her eyes open. "Bear, you can't save everyone."_

"_I can save you." Dave nodded._

_Kimberly reached up and caressed Dave's face. She motioned him to kiss her. "I love you, Bear." _

"_I love you, too, Sweet Baby." _

_Within seconds, Kimberly died. Dave and Taker buried her in the backyard and covered her gravesite with her favorite flower, roses. In retaliation, Dave killed Edge's love interest. _

"We were just talking about…." Trish began.

Dave held up a hand to silence her. "It's time you met with London." He said coldly.

Taker shook his head as he watched Trish slowly got up and headed upstairs. Taker waited to hear a door shut before he spoke to Dave. "Keep treating her like that and she'll be the least of your concerns. You can talk like that to Blondie and everyone else and get away with it, Dave. But unlike Blondie and the kids, I'll kill your ass, you got that?" Taker replied.

"You had no business telling her about Kim." Dave flatly stated as he tried to maintain his composure. "It was none of her concern whatsoever."

"Now let me make it crystal clear to you before I have to call London and Nitro down here to burn your ass alive." Taker warned. "Blondie needed to know the history before she turned. That was something we all agreed on, remember? That little meeting in the library several days ago? The history of the Family not only included how you and the kids were turned but also how the Family became the Family. I think she had every right to know and frankly, I should've told her sooner." Taker replied.

"What happened with Kim had nothing to do with Trish."

"No, I think what happened with Kimberly has everything to do with Blondie. Are you going to sit here and tell me that there aren't any similarities between the two? The main difference between those two is that Kimberly was turned in two weeks; Blondie is at six weeks and counting."

"What I had with Kim is different from what I have with Trish and don't even try to compare the two. Yeah, they might look the same and have similar interests but that is it." Dave got up and looked out the window. He then shook his head. "What happened between me and Kim was a long time ago, Taker."

"But your feelings toward her are still the same as of today. If I didn't choose Blondie…"

"I would've been just fine." Dave interrupted.

Taker stared at Dave and shook his head. "Bullshit. And not only is that bullshit, but you know it's bullshit as well."

"So you chose Trish so I can get over Kim? Is that it? Because I didn't need your help."

"Kid, I rather see her smiling face than to hear you mop around like a bitch about how much you're going to kill Edge and you're waiting to do so." Taker said. "I chose Blondie because she needed to be chosen. I chose her because she needed to be saved and protected. I chose her to complete a mission."

"What mission was that?" Dave asked.

"What do you love about Blondie?" Taker asked.

"What?"

"Did I stutter? What do you love about Blondie?"

Dave hated that he had to humor Taker. He was in a very serious conversation about his personal history and he felt Taker was mocking him. Nevertheless, he agreed to answer him. "She's beautiful, but that's beside the point…"

"No, go on. What else is there?"

"Taker…"

"Just answer the damn question, Dave. Shit, you're worse than a child."

Dave stared down at his mentor and continued. "Okay, the only reason why I'm doing this because you asked me to."

"Yeah, yeah. Gonna answer the question, man?"

"I'm getting there." Dave looked out and watched the tree leaves bristle against the window. "I love her smile, her heart, her warmth. I love how she can turn a negative into a positive. I love how intelligent she is." He paused again. "I love her aura. I love everything about her."

After Dave finished talking, Taker held a mirror in front of his face. "See that?" Taker pointed to the mirror. "That is the mission."

Dave looked down at the mirror. He didn't realize he was smiling.

----------------------------------------

Upstairs, Trish met with London to prepare for her instruction. In respect to her and not wanting an ass-kicking from Dave, London covered up his walls with black sheets and turned off his porn. He still had it on through his Ipod, however.

"Well, Ms. Trish, let's get started." London smiled.

"Um, just give me a second." Trish took deep breaths. "I just need to collect my thoughts."

"Did you need anything to drink? Some fresh air? Maybe some 'Hot Young Stud II?'" He suggested.

Trish stopped taking deep breaths and turned towards London. "Huh?"

"Just a suggestion, that's all." He clarified. "It's my porn. But if you want some of this…" He motioned towards himself.

"I just need to calm down. I just learned a lot of news right now." She said.

"Oh? What about?"

Trish hesitated yet again before she said anything. If Dave had such a stern reaction, who knew how London would react. "About Kimberly." She muttered.

London nodded. "She was great. I never got to meet her but I heard she was really something." He then smiled again. "Boy, did Edge get his!"

Trish had a confused look at her face. "What? What do you mean?"

"Oh, I guess Dave didn't tell you about what he did in retaliation?"

"No, I didn't realize he did anything in retaliation."

"Oh, he did. You see Trish, Dave and Taker very much believe in eye for an eye; you fuck me, I fuck you; you hurt me, I hurt you." London said as a bigger smile formed on his face. "But according to Dave and Taker, though, it's more like, 'You hurt me and I'll destroy your entire existence.'"

"So what did Dave do?" She asked.

London smiled again. "Well, I can't say out of respect for you and Dave but let's just say little Ms. Christy Hemme never saw it coming."


	22. Pulchritude and Colligate

She wanted to ask but didn't dare. She was curious to know but knew it probably wasn't good that she did. Yet, there was something in London's tone that suggested there was more to Dave biting Christy's neck. _If that's where he bit her. _ "Do I even want to know?" Trish asked.

"Um…" London wasn't sure how to answer Trish. He wanted to be honest with her but he also knew that if he was _too_ honest, it was a guaranteed ass beating by Dave. "You should ask Dave. Yeah, ask him."

"Umm hmm." Trish folded her arms as she remembered the first night she met Dave. He left with two women and was gone for hours. It didn't take long for Trish to figure out exactly what Dave did to send the girls "home," as he put it. _I figured as much._ She then looked around London's room. As she admired the satin black sheets that graced the walls, Trish couldn't help but wonder exactly what was underneath. "Do you mind if I take a look around?"

"Okay, but just for the record, you suggested it, alright?" He stated.

"I won't get you into trouble, London." She promised.

Sheet by sheet, London revealed what he dubbed as the "walls of hotness." Various pictures, magazines, and porn videos filled the room. Midgets, tall and average sized women. Latinas, Black girls, and Asians. Blondes, brunettes, redheaded, and the multi-colored haired. Small breasts, big breasts, and insanely huge breasts.

While Trish felt like she needed to scrub the smut off her body, she was also intrigued. "I'm curious. What's your fascination with porn?"

London smiled as he thought about the numerous porn video and collections he owned. He was proud to boast amongst his fellow vampires and living that he owned well over 200. "My fascination with porn is the same as many other guys fascination with porn." London shrugged. "It's really a no-brainer."

"Yeah but I don't know of too many guys who have wall-to-wall decorations of…" Trish couldn't bring herself to describe London's room. "…the female anatomy."

"The female body is a beautiful thing, Trisha." London smiled big. "A beautiful thing. Everyone has his or her hobby and his or her vice, so to speak. Some people have cigarettes. Some collect Barbies. Others have stamp collecting. I have porn."

"At least you're honest." She replied.

"At least I'm honest." London smiled. He then retrieved a large book and took out a pencil. "Anyways, we need to go over how to kill someone."

"Um…" Trish hesitated. "How to kill someone?"

"Oh yeah. It's actually quite fun if you hate the person." London smiled. "I'm sure Melina went over how suck the blood out the veins?"

Trish felt herself becoming increasingly nauseated. "Not yet."

"Oh, well then we'll go over that too!"

Despite the consistently cold temperature in the mansion, Trish felt she needed to fan herself off. "Is that really necessary?"

"Um…yeah." He replied.

"Okay, I'm going to be real. I just sat through learning how to drink blood and I'm not entirely sold on that. Could we jump to something else and get back to the killing?"

London nodded. He got up and sat beside Trish. "I can't sympathize with you but I'm sure you're scared shitless, right?"

"Just a tad."

London thought about what he wanted to say. He was known for shooting from the hip and it got him in trouble more often than not. Yet, London knew there was nothing he could say that may possibly smooth everything over with Trish and her feelings. Instead, he thought to do the opposite. "Tell me about Trish."

"What?"

"Tell me about you. What makes you so great?" He asked.

"Well…" Trish was caught off-guard slightly. "I like to take walks on the beach and I love listening to music."

"What kind?"

"Well, I love R&B and hip-hop."

"Watch TV?"

"Yeah."

"What shows?"

"I love watching documentaries."

"Like what?"

"Well, crime mysteries like 48 hours and realism shows like Intervention."

"Just say no to drugs." London added. "Crack is wack."

Trish smiled. "Okay, what's with all the questions?"

"I need to know who you were before I turn you. I can't prepare you for the future if I don't know what your past was." London flashed his trademark smile. "Pretty smart, don't ya' think?"

London's smile relaxed Trish. It was then she realized why the Family were popular and powerful. They had a way of charming their victims and making them open up about themselves. It definitely worked on her.

Trish smiled brightly. "I think I'm ready to learn about killing."

---------------------------

Later that day, Trish had a study session with Nitro. While she got along with everyone in the Family—well, almost everyone in the Family—she never really became acquainted with Nitro. It was partially Melina was by his side all the time. It was also because Nitro was also clowning with London when he wasn't with Melina.

Yet, Trish knew there was more to Nitro than he led on. He was uniquely comprised of all members of the Family—he was reserved like Dave; used his sexuality to his advantage like Melina; lightened the mood like Rock and London; and was mysterious like Taker.

Trish walked into the living room and saw Nitro in the corner. Wearing reading glasses, Nitro was holding a large dictionary to his view and appeared to be reading it.

"Knock, knock." Trish said as she tapped on the door. "Just let me know when you're ready."

"I'm ready. I'm just studying the dictionary." Nitro said. "There are a lot of words in here."

Trish looked at him and stopped herself from making a smart-ass remark. Nitro caught onto her. "It was a joke, Trish."

"Whew, I'm glad it was." She smiled.

Nitro removed his reading glasses. "Pulchritude." He said as he got up.

Trish shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Pulchritude. It means beauty." He walked over and kissed her hand. "Your pulchritude is legendary."

Trish blushed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Nitro replied. "Just don't tell Dave or Melina I kissed your hand."

"Of course not." Trish smiled.

Nitro motioned for Trish to sit at a nearby table. In front of her, she saw a ready game of Scrabble. "Part of becoming a vampire is having brain power. The stronger your mind, the more powerful you'll be. It's not just doing wicked tricks or moving things. It's about having the mind control over your enemy." He said. "Let's play."

The next several minutes were studious for the pair as they concentrated on outsmarting each other with their vocabulary. Nitro was much more impressed with Trish as she knew words he had a hard time explaining to London and Melina. But Nitro also knew it was partially because they both didn't care.

After a short while, Trish broke her silence. "Why are you so quiet?"

"I just am." Nitro commented as he studied his tiles. "Sometimes I don't need to say anything to get my point across."

"But don't you want to have more to say?" She asked.

Nitro shook his head. "Not really. If I don't want Melina to do something, she doesn't. If I want to go somewhere, I go. If I think something else should be done instead of said action, my opinion gets heard." Nitro carefully placed the tiles on the game board. "I'm very much my own man."

"But you don't appear to be."

"Appearances are deceiving." He smiled. "Yeah, it may seem like I'm a sick puppy following Melina everywhere. It may seem like no one really listens. But one thing I've learned from the Queen Mother is that when you're submissive, you're the one with the power." He then spelled out the word. "C-O-L-L-I-G-A-T-E. Colligate."

"To unite." Trish replied.

"I see the beautiful one also has brains." Nitro smiled.

Over the next several hours, Nitro prepared Trish on the various changes her body would have. From perfect vision to strength of a thousand men, there would be no limit to what Trish could and could not do. However, just like the living, vampires were also susceptible to death—as evident by Kimberly's sudden passing. _This is like high school guidance counseling—for the dead, _Trish thought.

-----------------------------

After her last meeting, Trish went upstairs to lay down. The past several days had been emotionally and mentally taxing on her body and spirit. Yet, the worried feelings were no longer present. The uncertainty of her future was dissolved. She finally knew why Taker and Dave wanted her to meet with all of the Family members. _So I can be welcomed into the Family. _

Dave soon joined Trish on their bed. "How's it going?"

"It's going." She yawned. "You?"

"It's going." He replied. "Look, about earlier…"

"You don't need to apologize, Dave. I understand."

"I still regret it, though." He nudged Trish on her back and hovered over her. "I didn't mean to get short with you."

"Forgiven." She smiled. "I think I'm ready to become a vampire now."

"Great. There's just one more person you need to meet."

Trish thought about all of the Family members. She thought she met everyone. "Who?" She asked.

"The Queen Mother."

"The Queen Mother?"

"The Queen Mother."

"Who's the Queen Mother?" She asked.

There was one name that resounded with all vampires, good or bad. Dave knew her especially well. "Stephanie."


	23. The Queen Mother

Two SUVs pulled up in front of the palatial home. As the Family members exited out of the vehicles, Trish took in at the sight before her. It was a castle, fit for royalty. Rumor had it that former presidents and celebrities stayed at the home. With seven bedrooms and six bathrooms spread over three acres, it was an estate.

It was known as the Palace where the Queen Mother stayed.

Trish grabbed Dave's hand. "Should I be nervous?"

"Yes." Dave replied.

The Palace was a dungeon, almost. It was incredibly dark and but surprisingly warm. The basement was sprawling with imported marble floors and chic décor. Mirrors adorned the walls and complemented the design of the home. It was no surprised that the constant theme in the Palace were the hints of burgundy and other deep reds. _Blood, _Trish thought. _Of course it is. _

"Well, well, well…" Stephanie said as she walked down the stairs. "Who do we have here?"

The Family immediately took a step back from Trish as Stephanie approached them. She had dark hair that flowed over her shoulders. Her face was a canvas, with intense colors and shades. Her lips were a deep red, almost a burnt curry. Here eyes were striking and intense. Long brown hair hung over her back and curled at the tips. With her figure was curvy and svelte, with the typical hourglass standard, it was no mistake that Stephanie mirrored as dominatrix. While she was known as Stephanie McMahon in her waking hours, those around the vampirical world knew her as the Queen Mother.

Trish looked behind her and saw the Family was a considerable distance away from her. She didn't have time to ask questions as Stephanie turned Trish's attention back to her. "You're the newest member, I take it."

"Yes." Trish replied nervously.

"Lucky you." Stephanie grinned. She then leaned forward and sniffed Trish's neck. Stephanie then walked around Trish. "So how is he?"

"How's who?"

"Dave. I'm sure you've had him in bed, right?" Stephanie asked. She then whispered in Trish's ear. "Don't worry, I'm not jealous. I've had him, too." She then turned to Dave. "Isn't that right, Lover?"

"I wouldn't answer her, man." Rock warned.

Stephanie stood behind Trish and wrapped her arms around her waist. She then pulled Trish close to her. Stephanie then rubbed Trish's arms. "You're cold, Sweetie." She murmured.

"It's a little cold in here." Trish whispered.

Stephanie bent down and rubbed Trish's legs. She then moved her hands up her body and cupped Trish's breasts. Trish's eyes shot up at Dave. Stephanie locked eyes with Dave as she kept talking to Trish. "It's okay to be nervous, Sweetie." Stephanie reassured.

"I'm not…I'm not nervous." Trish shook her head.

"Sure you're not." Stephanie then whispered in Trish's ear, her lips tracing her earlobe. "If you think I'm coming onto you, it's because I am. But don't worry, Sweetie, Dave was nervous his first time, too." She then smiled at Dave. "Isn't that right, Lover?"

Trish looked at Dave and he took a deep sigh. Rock leaned over to Dave's ear. "You're so dead tonight."

"Yes, yes I am." Dave nodded.

Stephanie kissed Trish's earlobe and continued to talk to her, never leaving her focus from Dave. "So you want to become a vampire, don't you?"

Trish nervously nodded. "Um hmm."

"Why?" Stephanie asked.

"Because I want to."

"You want to or you have to?" She asked.

"Both." Trish whispered.

Stephanie kept caressing Trish's breasts and maintaining her focus on Dave. "Your life will be changed forever."

Trish nodded again. "I know."

"Once you turn, you can't go back."

"I realize."

Stephanie turned Trish towards her and kissed her. Trish was reluctant at first but a warm presence washed over her body and she opened her mouth to accommodate Stephanie's. Stephanie softly sucked on Trish's lower lip and slipped her tongue inside her mouth. Stephanie then kissed Trish's jaw line and her neck, trailing her tongue back up to Trish's lips. Meanwhile, the other members of the Family were in awe at the sensual sight.

"Damn." London commented.

"Yeah. Damn." Melina began fanning herself off.

Stephanie stopped kissing Trish and stood behind her. She once again wrapped her arms around her waist and smiled at Dave. "I can't turn you tonight, Sweetie."

"Why not?" Trish asked.

"We have to wait until you're ready." Stephanie said, not leaving her gaze off Dave.

"I'm ready." Trish said, looking over to her.

Stephanie shook her head. "No, you're not." She smiled at Dave. "I'm not sure how you did it, Lover."

"How I did what?" Dave asked.

Stephanie moved her hands towards Trish's stomach. "She's pregnant."

The rest of the Family members looked around at each other and then back at Stephanie. "Huh?"


	24. The Revised Plan

The Family hurriedly followed Taker inside the home. Confusion and mystery surrounded the Family as they all had the same questions on their minds. How was it possible for Trish to get pregnant? Was the baby a vampire? How far along was she?

All of the Family members gathered around the dining room table. They nervously waited for Taker to address the situation.

Taker sat down and rubbed his goatee. He let out a deep sigh as he prepared his thoughts. He had a feeling Dave was losing his vampire powers with each day Trish was not turned. While he was certainly surprised that Trish was pregnant, he was not shocked like the other Family members.

Taker began addressing Trish first, since she was the most affected by the surprising news. "What happened is during the time you and Dave were dating, he was slowly losing his vampire qualities and adapting human ones. Since you weren't turned within the first several days of meeting, Dave began to adapt to your qualities. As a result, his body was able to produce sperm..."

"Subsequently, he was able to get Trish pregnant." Rock finished.

Dave was blown away. He knew something was happening to his body when he was able to stay in daylight hours much longer than he was accustomed to. "So I'm human?" Dave asked.

"Not quite. While you still have several vampire qualities, you also have many human attributes. Think of it as you're in between both worlds." Taker clarified. "Though you can still consume blood, you're more vulnerable for death."

"Shit…" Dave muttered.

Naturally, Trish was the most confused. She was so busy concentrating on becoming a vampire, she had not notice she was late on her cycle. She thought her nausea and fatigue was attributed to learning how to consume blood and kill people. "What about the baby?" Trish asked. "Am I carrying a vampire?"

"As far as I understood, the baby is human." Taker addressed. "Given the timeline, you're around six weeks."

"So what's going to happen now?" Dave asked.

"Well, the game plan has changed. Not only do we need to protect Trish and the baby, but we also need to protect you as well. That means you can't leave the home at any given time, either."

"What about me?" Trish asked. "Am I still going to be turned?"

"After you give birth." Taker stated. "We'll give you time to nurse and pump out enough breast milk, but you will be turned."

"Why?" Nitro asked.

"As a human mother, she has only limited abilities to protect her child. As a vampire, if someone even looks at her child wrong, the person can be manipulated through telepathy, strength or even death." Taker addressed

"And what about the baby?" Trish asked.

Taker thought carefully about his answer. "As of right now, the baby stays human."

Trish sighed as she wrapped her arms around her waist. A wave of emotion overcame her and she hurriedly left the dining room table. Dave quickly followed Trish upstairs as the Family members watched.

For the first time since she has met Trish, Melina felt a little sympathy towards her situation. It was difficult enough for Trish to become accustomed to being a vampire. Now she was having a baby that was going to be involved with the vampirical world. "What's going to happen? We're not prepared for a baby, Taker."

"Then we have to become prepared. There's no question." Take replied.

"We need to protect all three of them." Nitro stated.

"At all times." Taker added.

"There's not a doubt in my mind that the Brood already knows what's going on." London said.

Rock shook his head. "Knowing Edge, he's known about this long before any of us..."

------------------

"Hey Servant! Yeah, you. Yeah, you dumb-ass. Let Steph know I'm here." Edge directed to one of Stephanie's maids.

The Brood entered Stephanie's home and made themselves comfortable. In a sharp contrast from the Family who merely looked around and waited for Stephanie to addressed them, The Brood lounged around on the sofas and helped themselves to the available fruit and drink.

"Oh goddesses above…" Stephanie said aloud as she walked downstairs. "What did I do to deserve this wonderful visit?"

"I know something you don't know!" Edge smirked. He prided himself that he figured out Trish's pregnancy since Hunter's visit. "I'm the smartest man in the world, Steph."

"I already told her, genius." Stephanie smiled as she shook her head. "When will you ever learn that I have more powers than you, Edge?"

"How…how did you know?" He asked.

Stephanie shook his head. "So anyways, what brings this visit?"

"I'm getting even with Batista." Edge stated. "I thought I should let you know."

Stephanie rolled her eyes._ Of course, you are, Edge. Why wouldn't you? _

Several hundred years ago, Stephanie turned both Edge and Dave. They were her lovers and her protectors and it was known all over the vampirical world. As they were being trained by Stephanie and respectively mentored by Taker and Hunter, Dave and Edge had a fierce rivalry between the two of them. When they both were able to kill on their own, Dave stayed close with Stephanie as Edge branched out.

It was the classic case of good seed/bad seed and there was no question as to what role Dave and Edge played. It was an open secret that Dave was Stephanie's favorite and Edge was resentful of that fact. "You've been getting even with David for the past hundred years." Stephanie waved a hand at him as a servant served her a glass of blood. "How do you plan to do it this time?"

"We're getting the kid." He smiled.


	25. Sacred

Stephanie calmly put her wine glass down. She has tolerated the childish bickering between Edge and Dave for the past 200 years and not a day less. They constantly had to one-up each other in abilities, powers, and even death counts.

Stephanie hoped it was just a phase and she dealt with it. But when Edge killed Kimberly, all bets were off. She knew there was nothing she could say or do that would stop Dave from enacting his revenge and she encouraged it. When Edge told Stephanie what happened to Christy, Stephanie only smiled and said, "Are you really surprised?"

Now Edge was going too far and Stephanie had enough. It was one thing to get even with each other but it was completely different to threaten a child. She walked over to Edge and grabbed his neck so hard, it brought him to his knees. "Hey, hey, hey!" Edge whimpered.

"That baby she is carrying is a potential heir to my throne, got it?" Stephanie threatened. "You and your little minions will not do anything to harm that child in any facet. If you do, I will make your afterlife so unbearable, you would be biting your own neck to escape from misery, got it?"

"Got it." Edge whimpered.

Stephanie smiled as she looked at Stacy. She let go of Edge and he fell over the floor. Stephanie stepped on Edge as she walked over to Stacy. "Who are you?" She said flatly.

Lilian got up and introduced Stacy to Stephanie. "Stephanie, this is Stacy. The newest member of…"

"I didn't ask you to speak." Stephanie addressed Lilian while maintaining her focus on Stacy. "Who are you?"

"Stacy." She replied.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I was told to be here."

"Isn't that just wonderful?" Stephanie motioned for Stacy to stand. She walked around Stacy, examining her body. Just as she felt up Trish, Stephanie began to feel all over Stacy's body, cupping her breasts and sniffing her neck. "Nice choice, Edge."

"Thank you." He whispered as he slowly got up.

Stephanie turned Stacy to her attention while she still spoke to Edge. "I said nice choice, I didn't say I approve. You know better. I am to approve of any and all members to my family and you broke the rule—again." Stephanie then addressed Stacy. "I'll say this once and once only. Don't cross me." She stated.

"Got it." Stacy replied.

"Do you have any powers?" She asked.

"I know how to fly and I can assume the form of a wolf. I can also transform into mist." Stacy stated. She turned to Stephanie. "If you're trying to intimidate me, it's not working."

Stephanie smiled. "Garcon, come here." She directed one of her servants.

The male servant came to Stephanie's side. "Yes, ma'am?"

Without hesitation, Stephanie reached into the servant's chest and pulled out his heart. She took a bite of it and licked her lips. She then opened Stacy's hand and dropped the bloody heart into her palm. "How about now?" She asked Stacy.

Stacy was stunned as she stared at the heart. The servant dropped dead to the floor. Stephanie looked over to Jeff and Carlito. "Do you have anything you want to add?"

"No ma'am." They both replied.

"Good." Stephanie walked back to her throne, stepping on Edge in the process. "Go."

"Steph…" Edge began to say.

Stephanie focused on a spot on the floor and burned a hole through. Edge quickly moved away, grabbing his stomach. "I didn't kill you intentionally—this time." Stephanie calmly stated. "Need I say more?"

---------------------------------------------

Since meeting Dave, Trish's life has been turned upside down. While she didn't miss how her life was, Trish was apprehensive on how her was life was going to be. Within a few months, she was going to raise a human baby within a vampire world. Her child was going to learn how to ride a bike along with how to create firestorms. The child will have human friends along with a vampire family.

Trish didn't believe in abortion but she would be lying if she said it didn't sound tempting given the circumstances. She wiped away her tears as she held onto her growing tummy. She soon felt Dave's arms wrapped around her waist as they laid on the bed. "I'm scared, David."

He kissed Trish's cheek and wiped her tears away. "I know."

"I don't know anything about being a mother. What if I can't protect my baby?"

"All of us are going to protect you, Trisha."

Trish turned over and faced her boyfriend. "You can't protect me now. You're vulnerable, too."

"I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure no harm is done to your or our child." He assured her.

Trish nodded as she moved closer to him. "I'm scared, David." She said again.

Dave sighed as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and kissed her forehead. "I'm scared, too."


	26. Kimberly Rises Again

"Do you need help Trish?" Nitro asked her.

Trish carefully waddled downstairs, steadily gripping onto the staircase. Up until a few weeks ago, she was able to still bend over and see her feet. Now she was lucky if she could wear the same color of socks. "I just need to know where my feet are and I'll be fine." She commented.

Seven months flew by as the Family anxiously awaited the arrival of Dave's and Trish's baby. From the bassinets and cribs to the colorful onesies and booties, the dark and mystery of the Family home was slowly escaping. Trish was heavily guarded when she had doctor's appointments but Taker decided it was best for her to have a home birth. Whenever Trish left the home, there wasn't a doubt that the Brood were hot on her trail.

Meanwhile, the members of the Family were being challenged in their own ways to cope with the impending birth. London and Nitro were having fun experimenting with the baby toys, occasionally getting on Dave and Taker's nerves. Yet, they made up for it in other ways. Nitro read to Trish's womb every night and he explained new words to her and the baby. London also changed for the better and turned his porn down at night. However, his pictures were going to stay on the wall.

Meanwhile, all eyes were on Dave. He maintained his physique and intellect by reading and keeping up with his powers. He was able to subsist on having a shot glass worth of blood per week, if that. While his vampire qualities were slowly escaping his body, he wasn't quite human, either. To gauge if he really needed to be turned, Taker and the Family carefully monitored Dave's condition during Trish's pregnancy.

However, Dave knew his body better than anyone did and there was doubt he needed to be turned. Due to the highly sensitive nature of Trish's pregnancy, Dave asked Taker and Stephanie to postpone his turning. He wanted to focus as much energy on the birth of his child. He also didn't want Trish to witness his rebirth before she turned.

Once downstairs, Trish walked to the nearest sofa and sat down. She was almost near her due date and it took all of her energy just to make it to the living room for dinner. "I think I'm staying here for the time being." She breathed.

Nitro walked over to her. "We'll bring the food to you."

Trish nodded. "Thank you. I don't think I was going to be able to get back up."

"Not a problem." Nitro smiled. "How's the baby doing?"

"Active. Too active for my taste." Trish shook her head. "She won't let me sleep comfortably and she sure doesn't let me walk normally, either."

"I thought you were having a boy." London said as he walked downstairs.

"No, that's what David wants." Trish smiled. "I think it's a girl."

"Maybe I can tell by listening." Nitro said. "May I?' He motioned towards Trish's womb.

"Yeah, go ahead." She replied.

Nitro sat on the sofa next to her and rested his head on her womb. He listened carefully for any movement. He knew that he was able to tell the sex of the baby based on Trish's womb but he wanted a reason to feel the baby. "She's sleeping." Nitro commented. "She's peaceful, calm, and relaxed."

"Can she tell you when she wants to come out finally?" Trish asked.

"Soon." Nitro smiled. "Soon. She promises."

"Good!" Trish sighed. "The sooner, the better."

Melina walked downstairs just in time to glimpse her boyfriend caressing Trish's womb. Instinctively, Melina's jealousy came out in full throttle. "You never got me pregnant!" Melina yelled.

Nitro had a painful expression on his face as he got up. Throughout Trish's pregnancy, he has dealt with Melina's jealousy and constant snide remarks. _As if there wasn't a change from before, he quipped. _ "What? You said you didn't want kids, Lina!"

"Yeah, but you could've tried to get me pregnant!" She huffed.

"So do you want a baby?" He asked.

"Hell no! All the snot, crying and…" Melina shuddered. "No thank you!"

Nitro closed his eyes before he did something to his girlfriend that he was not going to regret. "So why are we having this conversation?" He asked calmly.

Melina turned towards him and rolled her eyes. "I knew you wouldn't understand!" She then stormed off.

The other vampires gathered around Nitro as they watched Melina continue her berating into the kitchen. "Forget babies," Nitro shook his head. "Is there a handbook on how to handle women?"

"Yeah, there is." London commented. "It's called shut up and take it."

-----------------------------------------

After dinner, Dave and Trish relaxed in the back yard. They were in the swing, looking up at the stars. It was there last chance to enjoy peace and quiet before the arrival of their child and they took full advantage of it. "Should we be out here right now?" She asked.

"Probably not." Dave said as he rubbed her shoulders. "But being inside isn't safe, either." Just then, Dave could hear the ongoing argument between Nitro and Melina about why she wasn't pregnant. "Yeah, we're much safer out here."

Trish interlocked her hands with Dave. "We're going to be parents, David."

"I know." He replied.

"How are we going to explain why Daddy has to drink blood?" She asked.

"We'll be honest with our child, Honey. He'll have to know where he came from and who his parents really are. We can't hide the truth from him." He said.

"And what about why Uncle Nitro occasionally flies? And why Aunt Melina can create firestorms? And Uncle London…" Trish paused. "Well, the porn thing."

Dave chuckled. "Our child will know in due time, Honey. I don't think trying to explain everything to him when he's not here yet is worth worrying about."

"You mean, her?" Trish smiled.

"Yeah, I guess." Dave shrugged.

The peaceful night was soon interrupted by a gradual pain in Trish's lower back. It slowly moved around her body and was on the verge of being excruciating. She immediately began to feel flushed and hot. "David…" She began. "The baby is coming."

"You sure?" He asked.

"No, I'm having this pain because it feels good. Of course, I'm sure!" She breathed.

"Okay, let's go." Dave whistled for the other Family members. Almost instantly, they all met him in the backyard. "It's showtime."

Melina, Nitro, and London had the same reaction in their thoughts. "Oh shit!"

---------------------------------------------

There was a frightening thunderstorm that evening. Pouring rain and fierce wind pounded the windows. Moans and screams could be heard throughout the home. The sounds were equivalent to someone pleading for their life. And that wasn't necessary a bad guess with Trish's labor. Because she was having a home birth, Trish could not have any medication and had to give birth naturally The only exception was it wasn't Trish screaming, it was Melina.

Being an unwitting participant in the birth, Melina cringed each time Trish had a contraction. Her body shuddered and she dry-heaved whenever Taker checked Trish's progress. Melina was so disgusted, she had to wait outside in the hallway with the other Family members.

"Still want to have a baby now?" Nitro smirked as he glanced at Melina.

Melina violently shook her head. "Uh-uh!"

Inside the master bedroom, there was calm chaos. The bedroom was converted to a makeshift hospital room with plenty of blankets, newspapers and equipment for the birth. Bowls of ice chips and damp cloths were available to make Trish more comfortable. It was just a matter of time before the arrival.

Using the library to her advantage, Trish studied various books on childbirth and pregnancy. She learned breathing techniques and various forms of relaxation. Between walking back and forth and stretching, Trish was at ease. While Melina was disgusted about the labor, Trish was empowered by it.

"How are you doing, Blondie?" Taker asked.

Trish nodded as Dave patted her forehead with the damp cloth. Once her water broke, the labor proceeded quickly. "It's tough but I'm hanging in there."

"I'm going to make this short and sweet, Blondie." Taker instructed as he put on gloves. "When I say now, push and don't stop until I tell you."

Trish nodded as she prepared to deliver. She was coated in sweat, the pain was excruciating unbearable, and she wanted everything to end finally.

"Okay, Blondie." Taker said as he stood in front of her. "Now."

Dave sat behind Trish as they prepared for the birth of their child. He wiped her forehead with a moist cloth. Trish grabbed both of Dave's hands and calmly pushed out their baby. To Trish's amazement, she used the sound of the thunderous rain and wind to calm her. Within minutes, the baby was delivered.

"It's a girl." Taker said as he cleaned off the baby.

Trish breathed hard as she fell back onto Dave's chest. "Is she healthy?" She asked.

"She's perfect!" Dave smiled.

Taker handed Dave a pair of scissors. "Want to do the honors?" He asked him.

Dave took the scissors and cut the umbilical cord. After cleaning off the baby, Taker handed him his daughter. "Here you go." He nodded.

Dave took a brief moment to stare at his daughter. "Wow." He felt himself tearing up. "She's beautiful."

The Family members heard the familiar sounds of a crying baby. London poked his head through the door. "Can we come in now?" He asked.

"Come on in, kids." Taker nodded.

Melina, Nitro, London, and Rock walked into the master bedroom. They were in awe and making cooing noises. "What's her name?" Nitro asked.

"Kimberly Nevaeh." Trish said as Dave handed her the baby. "Kimberly, because we named her in honor of her and Nevaeh, which is heaven spelled backwards."

Dave watched his girlfriend comfort their new daughter. She had strong Grecian features with her dark hair and olive skin. Dave could stare at her forever but he knew there were more pressing things that were calling his attention at the moment. And now was a better time as ever.

"Lover?" Stephanie said as she suddenly appeared. "It's time."

Trish looked up at Stephanie and then at Dave. "What's going on?"

Stephanie walked over to Dave and put her arm on his left shoulder. "It's time for his rebirth."


	27. The Rebirth

_Author's Note: Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. This story has definitely been a challenge and the feedback has been just amazing and incredible so I sincerely thank all of you!_

_To the person who sent a PM regarding a specific pairing, I honestly haven't thought of a scene with those two but it'll be pretty hard not to put them together. I'll see what I can do. (What pairing you ask? Well, here's a ginormous hint: The McMahon-Helmsley Era)_

_Enough babbling…onto the story!_

_-----------------------------------------_

The scene was pitch-perfect: the storm outside had not let up and all of the lights inside the home were off. The Family members wore velvet-hooded capes with a variety of dark colors—black, cranberry, and midnight blue. Each Family member carried a single white candle, held at his or her waists and walked barefoot. The scene mirrored a funeral, but it wasn't. It was the ritual of the Family Rebirth.

Dave waited in a private room, lying naked on top of a wooden casket. His eyes were closed and his body was still. His mind was empty without a thought or care. He knew that when he had go through the rebirth, there could not be one single thought on his mind during the process. Yet, the only thing he could not erase was Trish and Kimberly.

Dave knew he had to be turned as soon as possible after Kimberly's birth. He did not realize it was going to be immediately. He also did not want Trish to bear witness to the process of his turning before she had hers. One reason was that he did not want to scare her or make her have second thoughts. The other reason being he did not want Trish to be around when Stephanie turned him—partially by sleeping with him.

Meanwhile, Trish cradled her daughter as she breast-fed her upstairs. She was trying to calm her nerves but her mind would not let her. She did not know what took place in a rebirth ceremony and was not sure if she wanted to know. Yet, curiosity was plaguing her mind. None of the Family members spoke to her and they locked her away in the master bedroom, which only made matters worse for Trish. _If they want me to turn, they're not doing a good job of convincing me. _"What's going to happen to him?" She asked.

Stephanie glazed blood red lipstick across her lips. She has turned many souls during her time and seized the opportunity whenever possible. "I'm going to turn him." She responded, still focused on her appearance in the mirror.

Trish glanced at Stephanie's attire. It was no mistake she was naked under a sheer flock. "You're going to sleep with him." She stated.

Stephanie put away her lipstick and looked at Trish through the mirror. "Yes."

Trish looked at Stephanie, then focused on her daughter. She was not very excited that Dave had to be turned and was less than thrilled by the method. But one thing Trish learned was whatever the Queen Mother decided, it was final with no questions.

Trish sighed as Kimberly held onto an index finger. Satisfied with her daughter's feeding, Trish placed Kimberly in her bassinet. She then walked up to Stephanie. "Before you turn Dave, can we talk for a minute?"

------------------------------------------------

Stephanie entered the private room where Dave was. She stripped off her clothing and walked over to him. Delicately touching his body, Stephanie noticed Dave becoming hard. "Lover…" She purred.

Dave remained silent and tranquil. During the rebirth, he was not allowed to make any noises or movements other than his body responding. Instead, he laid still as Stephanie touched him everywhere but the place he craved the most. He kept his eyes closed and body motionless.

Stephanie climbed on top of Dave, flicking her tongue on his body. When she was face to face with him, she licked his lips. "Look at me, Lover." She ordered.

Dave opened his eyes. "Ready?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied.

Stephanie leaned back down and bit Dave's neck. She sat up and bit the inside of her right wrist. The sudden and orgasmic pain surprised Dave. Stephanie then let Dave suck from her wrist. The former lovers kissed passionately before Stephanie climbed off Dave. She watched his spirit morph back to his original vampire form. He was slowly dying in front of her while his soul birthed a new spirit. His body turned pale at first; his soul drained.

No vampire could possibly describe the feeling of rebirth. Excruciating and unbearable pain always came to mind. The feeling of skin being peeled inch by inch from a body. The pain of walking on sharp glass for miles and miles. The emotion of losing a loved one to death. The sight of seeing a horrific car accident and there were no survivors. Yet, none of those emotions could compare to being turned. Dave felt his body was on fire and he could not stop the pain if he tried. His body responded by screaming and clutching in a fetal position. He could no longer stay still on the coffin and rolled onto the floor, hitting it with a massive thump. Yet, he knew it was part of the process. His living soul was dying so his undead one could return.

Just as soon as the torture began, it ended. If the dying part was horrific, the rebirth was beautiful. Orgasmic and exhilarating relief cooled his soul and calmed his spirit. Dave soon felt his body morphing back into its original form. His skin color returned to the normal deep copper and his eyes flickered between the intense grey and deep brown. His screams turned into sighs and then he woke up.

His vision was clearer, his body felt stronger and his soul was once again at peace. He then sat up and looked around. It was quiet and still. Not a single noise other the occasional crackle of the candles. He felt the presence of the Family outside the room, waiting for his movement and rebirth. He got up and walked around. It felt as if there was new life born into him. Everything was the same as before, if not better. Then he heard her.

To a human ear, the sound was faint, possibly inaudible. Yet, Dave could her as if she was right next to him. He put on a robe and headed straight for the door. Upon opening it, he was greeted by the Family. Dave then headed upstairs with the Family on his trail, confused by the sudden turn of events. All fears and questions were set aside as Dave quickly entered the master bedroom, where he found Trish cradling their daughter. He walked over to Trish and took Kimberly from her.

"I heard her." He said, kissing Kimberly's forehead. "I heard her cries." He then rubbed his daughter's back and spoke to Trish. "I'm going to protect you both with all that I have."

"Quella destinata per te, nessuno la prenderà." Stephanie said as she stood by the doorway. "No one will take the one that is destined for you." She then spoke to Trish. "I will meet with you later." She then disappeared.

Trish smiled as Dave looked over at her. "What was that about?" He asked.

Trish shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough." She smiled as she reminisced about the memory.

_Right before Dave's rebirth, Trish asked Stephanie not to sleep with him._ _After her first meeting with Stephanie, Trish didn't press for details about Dave's past relationship with Stephanie. His reaction told her everything she needed or desired to know. "I know there's a history between you and David." _

"_There will always be a history between us, Trisha." Stephanie commented. "I suggest you get used to it." _

"_I don't want you to sleep with him." Trish blurted._

_Stephanie turned around and faced Trish. The request nor the timing of it didn't surprise her. "Why shouldn't I?" She asked._

_Trish walked up to Stephanie and kissed her lips. She caressed her body and gently sucked her neck. "Why have Dave again when you haven't had me once?" _

Trish smiled as she thought about the memory. "Let's just say I gave her an offer she couldn't refuse." She winked.

"Oh, I'm so taping that shit!" London exclaimed.


	28. Let Bygones Be Bygones

The forecast called for clear, blue skies and surprisingly warm temperature of 85 degrees. Dave waited calmly on the beach. The one thing he loved about Southern California in the winter was the constant steady stream of warm weather. There was nothing better waking up on a warm December day and wearing summer gear because it was so hot. He especially loved going out in the middle of the day in a white tank top and board shorts, relaxing by the sun. While most new vampires cringed whenever a speck of sunlight shined, Dave embraced it. He knew he wasn't going to get burned anytime soon—or at all.

Trying his best to relax, Dave felt a little uncomfortable being out by himself without Trish or their daughter, whom they referred by her middle name, Nevaeh. Nevaeh was now six weeks old and Trish was still nursing her. Taker let Trish have a little more freedom by letting her take Nevaeh on walks but only if she was heavily surrounded by the Family. As soon as Trish finished nursing Nevaeh, she was going to be turned—much to London's delight.

As Dave let his mind relax, a special guest wearing anything but summer gear soon greeted him. Edge was covered head-to-toe in a large tarp, with sunglasses and gloves. "A little overdressed, aren't we?" Dave asked while keeping his focus on the beach.

"Real funny of you to suggest we meet out here, Batista." Edge sneered as he tried to keep his face covered.

Dave glanced over to Edge then concentrated on the ocean. The last thing Dave wanted to do was to converse with his archenemy when he could be at home feeding his newborn daughter. If Dave was going to be uncomfortable meeting with Edge, he was going to make sure Edge was equally distressed. "What can I do for you, Edge?"

"I want to call a truce." He suggested.

Dave was shook his head and rolled his eyes. Too many times has he fallen for Edge's sudden change of heart. Whenever Edge wanted to call a truce, it was because he was always planning something else. "Why now?"

"You have a newborn daughter and I decided we should let bygones be bygones." Edge smiled.

"So what's the real reason I'm out here?" Dave asked.

"I understand you don't believe me and that's cool, it's whatever. But I have no reason to lie to you now." Edge smiled.

"No, Edge, you have a specific reason to lie to me and her name is Kimberly." Dave stared at him. "I don't think I need to explain what will happen if you lay a finger on my daughter."

Edge brushed off Dave's comments. "Stephanie already threatened me if it makes you feel better."

"Well, I'm promising you." Dave stated. "Are we done here?"

"We're done." Edge got up and dusted himself off. "I meant every word I said, Batista."

Dave did not bother looking over towards Edge. "So did I."

Once Edge left his sight, Dave retrieved his cell phone and dialed Taker. "I just met with him. For now on, Nevaeh is staying inside."

--------------------------------------

Hunter's mansion was never warm or room temperature. It was numbing, freezing or biting cold, depending on one's description of choice. The home was cold no matter what season or time of day. Still, there was the question on whether it was cold by personal preference or if it was Hunter's demeanor. The Brood especially hated to visit Hunter for the sheer fact that they were never comfortable. Whether it was Hunter interrogating them regarding their actions or his overall mood, The Brood always wanted to leave Hunter alone as soon as they saw him.

"Hey Hunter! Guess what?" Edge yelled as The Brood followed into the home. "We thought of a….ah shit, Hunter! Fuck!"

Hunter sat in a large chair and briefly looked up at the Brood while a young female vamp orally pleased him. "Yes?"

Edge and the other members of the Brood looked up at the ceiling as a possible distraction from the live sex show. "You know, you could've warned us about that." He stated.

"Oh, I'm sorry that I should've told you what I'm doing in my own damn home." He replied. "What brings this visit?"

"Batista didn't believe me." Edge stated.

Hunter smiled and shook his head. When Edge told him about his plan to make amends with Dave, Hunter knew Dave would not buy into it, especially at this time. "Gee, why would he?" He rolled his eyes.

"I need to convince him that I'm not going to do anything to the kid."

"You better try damn hard." Hunter replied as he shook his head. "So why are you so interested in the kid now?"

"She's our link to Trish. Once we get Trish, everything will be alright."

"So what's the deal with Trish? You already have Stacy and Lilian."

Edge walked up to Hunter and sat beside him. He tried his best to focus on Hunter's face and not the young vampire sucking him off. "I'm creating a stable of evil bitches. Once I have Trish and the baby, we can start our dominance."

"You know you attempted that once already with Kimberly and look how successful you were then." Hunter added.

"Yeah, but I know it will work this time. I just need to lure Trish into the Brood."

"You know if you steal that baby and your plan backfires, The Family will come after you with everything."

"It won't backfire." Edge said quietly.

"You better than hell hope not." Hunter snapped his fingers and the young vamp began to shed her clothing. Once she was naked, she then straddled Hunter and began to ride him. "Because if you're slightly off, you're a dead man."

---------------------------------------------

A few days passed since Dave's and Edge's meeting of sorts. Hearing not a word about him from the vampircal world, Dave started to let his guard up about Edge. While he did not believe he was sincere in the least bit, Dave did not worry about Edge at the moment. With around the clock security on Nevaeh, Dave did not have a concern in the world other than his baby girl.

Except for a few choice things. "Honey…?" Dave called out. "Could you help me in here?"

Trish walked into the bedroom and saw Dave at the changing station with Nevaeh. He was holding her several feet from his face. "What's up?"

Dave scrunched his nose and squinted. One of the benefits of being a vampire was having heightened senses. Unfortunately, that was also one of the downfalls when it came to smelly diapers. "She needs to be changed."

"So? Change her."

"No, no, no, no, no." Dave shook his head. "I prey and kill humans. I manipulate minds. I create storms with a blink of an eye. I don't do diapers."

"Um, now you do." Trish smiled.

"Come on, Honey." Dave began to whine. "This isn't funny."

"Actually, it is." Trish laughed. "You don't have a problem drinking blood, yet a shitty diaper grosses you out."

"Yes." Dave replied.

Trish motioned for Dave to hand over their daughter. "Watch and learn."

While Trish and Dave were changing their daughter, they were interrupted by Rock. "We have visitors."

"Who?" Dave asked.

"The Brood." Rock replied. "They brought dinner."

"How generous of them." Dave retorted. "Why do I get the feeling this is a trick?"

"Because it is." Rock said.


	29. A Simple Plan

The dining room smelled like Sunday night dinner in the South. Pot roast, turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, candied yams, and corn on the cob were on the menu. Dessert was homemade apple pie with freshly churned vanilla ice cream for topping. It was food for the spirit and soul. It was the type of atmosphere to smooth over angry moments and bad times. Yet, the wonderful smells could not cut the heavy undercurrent of death.

There is a saying that when a mood is uncomfortable, one can cut tension with a knife. The expression was a gross understatement as members of the Brood and Family faced off. Eyes had intense glares while lips curled in anticipation. Senses were heightened and guards were up. The Brood held their stance, holding the food and giving warm smiles. The Family, however, were ready to attack at the drop of a hot plate. If any member of the Brood breathed the wrong way, the Family would not have a problem ending their lives. Melina gripped her knives while London and Nitro were in a defensive stance. All they needed was one motion from Dave and Rock, and the Brood was finished before they had a chance to get started.

"Batista! Rock!" Edge greeted as he saw them walk downstairs. "Nice for you to join us."

"What do you want now?" Dave asked.

"We're here to have a nice quiet meal—just the ten of us. No Hunter, no Taker, no Steph. I think it's time that we all got along, right?"

"No." Dave said flatly.

Edge slightly frowned and put his arm around Dave's shoulder as Dave stared at him. "You know what happened between me and Kimberly was so long ago, Dave. I mean, I already forgiven you for what happened to Christy."

"Oh yeah. Didn't Christy say you were the best fuck she's ever had, Dave?" London smiled.

Edge shot London an evil stare before he turned his focus back to Dave. "Hey, if I was up to something, I wouldn't have brought all of this food. I would've just killed you, right?"

"You are up to something and it's cute that you think you would kill me." Dave replied as Trish walked downstairs carrying their daughter.

By now, Edge's calm and collected demeanor flew out the window and aggravation took its place. "Look, man. I'm hungry and I brought the damn food." He stated. "Look, nothing has been done to it. It's not contaminated or anything. Are we going to eat the shit or what?"

Silence brushed across Edge's lips upon seeing Nevaeh. Stephanie commented on how breathtaking she was but that description did not do Nevaeh justice. She was a replica of a porcelain doll—the type that one would look and stare at but dare not to play with. Her skin was a deep buttercream color, reminiscent of her father. She had full lips that formed a small 'O', when closed. Her dark hair framed her cherub face and dare anyone say, she looked like an angel. She was more breathtaking when she opened her eyes, letting her hazel eyes sparkle. She was truly the product of Trish and Dave.

"We'll eat." Dave said. "But after that, you and the Village People are leaving."

Edge was so focused on the baby, he almost forgot Dave was still speaking to him. "Fine, fine by me. Will Trish and the baby be joining us?" He asked.

"They'll be by my side the entire night." Dave said as the Family gathered around him.

_Perfect. Absolutely perfect. _"Shall we eat?" Edge smiled.

------------------------------------

The dining room was always the source of gatherings for the Family. A long Italian oak table was the centerpiece of the room. Candelabras were in each corner and held seven half-burned candles apiece. An overhead crystal chandelier lightly danced against the breeze from the open windows. It was a perfect setting for the Family and their victims.

Every Friday night, Dave, Taker, Rock, and the "kids" as they referred to Melina, Nitro and London—would gather around the table to celebrate life and the afterlife before they headed out to their various functions. In the beginning, Dave, Rock and Taker nurtured the kids as they became stronger on their own. Often, the kids would come home with many questions, thirsty for more knowledge and wanting to become stronger.

Maybe the older vampires prepared the kids too well. Dave and Rock ate their meal while the kids watched every move the Brood made. The food was delicious—not too salty, just the right seasoning. The wine was a perfect complement to the taste palate.

Yet, the cordial mood did not hide the obvious invisible divider at the dinner table. The groups hated each other passionately. During the night, both Family and Brood members were on civil ground with each other. Well, they were trying to be on civil ground with each other.

"So Melina…" Lilian said as she cut into the pot roast. "What have you been up to?"

"You know, the same 'ol, same 'ol. Killing bitches and having fun doing it. Yourself?" Melina asked.

"I'm doing wonderful." Lilian smiled. "Just wonderful."

"You finally got that medical procedure?" Melina asked.

Lilian shook her head in confusion. "What medical procedure?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were going to finish the sex-change operation?" Melina smiled.

Lilian licked her lips and sighed. "I'm going to let that go."

"You should. Not too many guys like he-shes." Melina smiled.

While the female vamps traded insults, the male vamps were just getting started. London and Nitro ignored Jeff and Carlito by participating in their own conversation about video games. Acquiring the latest game console, Nitro and London had a never-ending debate on who was the best, despite how lame the games were. "Man, I so outdanced you!" Nitro shook his head.

"You got lucky, motherfucker. You got lucky." London countered.

"Asshole, I'm a stripper for a living." Nitro shrugged his shoulders. "You honestly thought you could've beaten me?"

While Jeff was in his own world by writing poetry, Carlito was tired of being ignored and hastily interrupted the conversation. "I can beat both of your gay asses." Carlito dared.

London and Nitro stop arguing mid-debate and turned towards Carlito. London then looked at Nitro. "Did you hear that, Nitro? He said he could beat my gay ass."

Rock and Dave shook their heads as they prepared themselves for the upcoming banter. "Oh shit." Dave muttered.

"This is going to be good." Rock smiled.

Nitro leaned over towards London. "So you like to beat gay asses?" Nitro asked Carlito.

"That's not what I meant!" Carlito said. "You two are gay!"

London and Nitro looked at each other and smile. They leaned towards each and locked lips. "Sometimes." London smiled.

"You two are pansies." Carlito pointed. "You're fucking gross."

"Yes, we're bisexual. Why? Do you want us to suck you off, Carlito?" London asked.

"Did you want London to tickle your balls while I stroke your cock?" Nitro teased.

Carlito spit out his food in disgust. "Not cool! So not cool!"

While the men were out-grossing each other, Stacy admired Trish and Nevaeh. Nevaeh's bassinet was placed in between Dave and Trish for obvious reasons. Every once in a while, Trish would glance at her daughter to see if she was doing alright and went back to eating her meal. For as long as Stacy could remember, Trish longed to be mother and made no secret about it. Trish was natural around small children and often volunteered at community programs helping underprivileged youth. "How are you doing, Trisha?" Stacy asked.

Trish looked at her former best friend and roommate. If someone told Trish that her and Stacy would be members of vampire families, Trish would have died in laughter. Just a year ago, they were watching Gilmore Girls on TV while painting each other's toenails. They had Girls' Night Out every Friday and hit the latest nightclubs. Now they barely knew each other. "I'm fine." Trish replied quickly.

"Beautiful baby." Stacy commented as she motioned towards Nevaeh. "What's her name?"

"Kimberly Nevaeh." She answered.

Edge looked at the baby. "Kimberly, huh?" He smiled. "Beautiful name."

Dave and Rock looked up at Edge, who shrugged and smiled again. "What? It is."

"We should hang out again, Trisha. It's been a while." Stacy said as she ate.

"I'm really busy." Trish yawned. "The baby has taken a lot of my time."

"I'm sure you could make time. Besides, you need to get out of the house sometimes." Stacy smiled.

"She's fine being at home." Rock interrupted.

Stacy shrugged. "Just a suggestion, that's all." She then smiled at Trish. "But the offer is still on the table."

Trish felt uneasy as a cold streak rushed down her spine. "Thank you."

Once dinner was over and dessert was served, the Brood left the Family's home. Despite the snippy remarks by both sides, dinner was surprisingly cordial. Too cordial for Dave's liking. "What was that about?" Nitro asked.

"They were scaling the home." Dave replied. "Why else would they be here?"

London yawned. "Well, we'll be ready for them. That is, after I take a nap. I'm going upstairs. Good night."

"Yeah, we're going to head upstairs for a quick nap before we head out tonight." Nitro said as Melina yawned.

"Alright. I'll let Taker know what happened tonight." Rock said as he yawned. "Damn, yawning is contagious."

"No, it was that turkey." Melina commented. "The pot roast was the driest shit I had ever had but the turkey was great. But I'm going to bed. I need to rest up before I kill tonight." She said as she headed upstairs as the other Family members followed suit. One by one, all Family members retreated to their respective bedrooms and fell quickly asleep.

-------------------------------------

Another expression is that the city never sleeps. Whoever thought of that definitely had the Brood in mind. They spent the last hour driving around the city, waiting for the Family to fall asleep. They were growing impatient and anxious by the hour. "Can we go back now?" Lilian asked as she drove around.

Edge smiled. "Oh yeah. We can go back now."

Edge knew Taker was out of town for a biker's convention and Hunter was occupied with his own agenda, making a family dinner with the Family the perfect setting for his plan. He knew that Dave and Rock were going to have eyes on him the entire night and anticipating any trickery. Brainstorming for several days, Edge came up with a plan that was so genius, he was amazed.

When the Brood was preparing dinner, Lilian purposely cooked the pot roast too dry so the Family would only eat the juicy turkey. She also injected more L-tryptophan, a natural sedative known to cause sleepiness in people, so the Family will be fast asleep and defenseless against Nevaeh. It was the simplest form of trickery—and the most brilliant. The Family would have never seen it coming and they didn't.

When the Brood arrived back at the home, all of the lights were off—a strong indication that the Family were sound asleep. Stacy quickly exited the SUV and scaled the outside home. She jumped up to the master bedroom and peered in. Dave and Trish were sound asleep in their bed while Nevaeh was right next to them in a bassinet. She then opened a window and casually walked to Nevaeh's bassinet. She picked her up and headed downstairs out the front door. "Here she is." She smiled as she handed the baby to Jeff.

"You'll be gone from your Family for a short while. It'll be okay, Kimberly." Jeff cooed as he carefully got into the SUV.

"Like taking candy…" Edge then stopped himself as he admired Nevaeh. "…from the Family."


	30. A Soul Decision

_Kimberly Woods shook her blonde hair as she made faces in the mirror. She often followed the latest fashion trends and loved to experiment with her appearance. From a bob-cut wig that she sported often to a nice shag inspired by Goldie Hawn in Laugh-In, Kimberly loved to play with her appearance as much as she loved to prey on humans. "Bear, how does my hair look?" She asked as she held up her long mane._

_Dave took off his reading glasses and looked at her. While Dave could not care less what she did with her hair, he also didn't want her bald. "It's fine."_

"_Well, should I cut it?" Kimberly said as she kept making faces. _

"_Yeah, sure." Dave went back to reading his novel._

"_What about a bob cut? That's really popular now." She said._

"_Yeah, sure." _

_Kimberly shook her head as she looked at Dave through the mirror. His eyes had not left the book within the past ten minutes. He probably would not notice that I set him on fire, she quipped. "What about I get a big fat swastika on my forehead?" She loudly asked._

"_Yeah, sure." _

_Kimberly rolled her eyes and turned around. With her mind, she flew Dave's book out of his hands. "Hey! I was reading that!" He exclaimed._

"_I know." She sharply replied. _

_Dave smiled and walked over to his lover. He stood behind her in the mirror and he put his hands on her shoulders. He then leaned down and rested his chin on her right shoulder. "I think you'll look beautiful either way."_

"_David…" Kimberly blushed. _

_Dave grabbed one of Kimberly's hands and led her to the foot of the bed. He pulled her on top of him. "I'm so lucky."_

"_I know." She smiled._

"_And humility is your strong suit." He smiled._

"_We're both lucky, Bear." Kimberly slowly kissed her lover. She then sat up and looked down at Dave. "You need to save her, Bear."_

"_Save who?" He asked._

_Kimberly smiled. "Nevaeh. She's waiting for you." _

Dave suddenly woke up in a cold sweat during the middle of the night. A sudden and sharp pain aroused in his soul. Whenever Dave had a dream about Kimberly, he immediately knew something was terribly wrong. Yet, this dream hit too close for home. While Dave knew she was watching them all from above, Kimberly mentioned Nevaeh.

Needing to convince himself that it was just an odd coincidence of a dream, Dave got up and checked Nevaeh's bassinet. At first, he thought he was still sleeping as he looked down at the empty bassinet. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, telling himself to wake up. To his horror, it was completely empty. He stared at the bassinet again and took out the blankets. She was nowhere to be found. Dave then rushed out of his bedroom and into the rooms of the kids. Once again, he could not find her. His whole being was tortured and he was desperate to find her.

He walked over to Nitro's casket and shook both him and Melina. "Get up." Dave commanded before he entered into London's room, where he followed the same procedure.

"What's going on?" Melina asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Yeah, what's happening, Dave?" London yawned as he got out of his casket.

"They have her." Dave said quietly. "They stole her."

"Who? Who?" Nitro asked.

"The Brood." Dave said as he walked hastily throughout the home. "They tricked us and stole her while we slept. I want all of you to search every room in this house, I don't give a damn how long it takes."

The kids did not hesitate as they followed their mentor's orders. Meanwhile, Dave paced frantically, contemplating his next move. He only imagined what sick and twisted things Edge could be doing to his six-week old daughter.

"She's not here, Dave." London shook his head. "She's not here."

"We looked everywhere, man." Rock commented as Melina and Nitro looked on. "They got her."

Suddenly, Taker entered the home. His face had a cold and emotionless stare while he held a single piece of paper. "They have her." Taker showed Dave the note.

Dave hastily snatched the note from Taker and read it while the Family gathered around him. _If you want her, come get her. She's safe with me for the time being. _ Dave crumbled the paper and threw it in the corner. "Fuck, I knew it!"

Taker then turned to Dave. "What time did they leave here?"

"About a few hours ago." He replied.

"Alright, that gave Edge and his little posse enough time to celebrate their short-lived and ill-fated victory. Knowing them, they're nowhere near their home right now and they're probably…" Looking upstairs and seeing Trish at the top of the staircase suddenly interrupted Taker.

Dave turned around and saw her walk towards him. A lump formed in his throat as she stood beside him. "What's going on?" She asked.

Dave did not want to tell her what happened but there was not a choice on whether she needed to know. He turned towards Trish and wrapped his arms around her. "Trish, just go back upstairs, Honey."

"Where's Nevaeh? I looked in her crib and she wasn't there." Trish asked as she looked around. No one in the Family wanted to look at her and they stared at the floor. "What...what's going on?" Trish asked. "Where's Nevaeh? Where is she?"

"They took her, Honey." He said.

Trish smiled uncomfortably and a nervous giggle escaped her lips. Her mind was going a mile a minute. The looks on everyone's faces told her that it was not a cruel joke yet a very serious manner. "They took her? Who?" Her face then dropped once she realized whom Dave was referring. "No, no, no…" She shook her head violently, hoping it was a horrible dream. "This is a joke, right? Please tell me this is a joke, David." She said.

Dave was silent as he swallowed his tears. "Trisha, we're going to find her."

"They took my baby? They took her?" She screamed as she started to hit Dave. An emotional outpouring shot through her body as she began to cry hysterically. "You promised you were going to protect us! You promised you were going to protect us!"

Dave wrapped his arms around Trish to calm her down. "Trish, we're going to find her. I promise you I will find our daughter." He assured.

Trish stopped fighting Dave and cried on his chest. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach as her life escaped her body. The room was spinning and she immediately felt dizzy. She heaved over and vomited on the floor. She then fainted as Dave caught her.

---------------------------------------------

Dave sighed as he stared outside the window. No matter how many times he thought of his last memory of Kimberly alive, it still hurt the same. With the Brood taking his daughter, the pain was magnified ten times. It felt as if Dave was reliving Kimberly's death all over again. Trish's reaction only solidified that feeling. The anguish and helplessness she demonstrated made Dave that more determined to kill Edge finally.

Meanwhile, the other Family members gathered in the library. Everyone was stunned, at a loss of words and grieved in their own way. London kept staring outside the window, looking at a dollhouse he was making for Nevaeh. In a far corner, Melina and Nitro were comforting each other as they stared inside another bassinet, trying to grasp why they could not protect the baby. "Edge manipulated us." Rock said. "He used his candy-ass charm to his advantage for once."

"What about Nevaeh?" London asked.

"Edge claims she's safe." Nitro commented as he shrugged. "But who knows what that means."

"Where's Trish?" London asked Dave.

"She's upstairs sleeping." He replied softly. "She's resting."

"They've planned this." Melina suddenly spoke while her voice cracked. Her cheeks were stained from the dried tears. "They've planned this the moment they knew she was pregnant. They beat us at our own game."

"No, they haven't." Taker said as he entered the library. "No one defeats the Family, you hear me? No one. Everyone 'round up." Taker addressed as the Family gathered around him. "There's no time for a game plan, there's no time for plotting. We're going to get Nevaeh. And if we have to destroy the Brood, so be it."

-----------------------------------------

She took out several weapons of interest—a bowie knife; a switchblade; an ice pick; and a jackhammer. She wasn't sure which weapon she was going to use but she knew one of them was going to end her life. She never contemplated suicide in her life, even at the lowest points of her life when her own family was murdered. Trish always felt she had too much to live for and pressed on. But that was the past. It was when her life was great—she fell in love and had a beautiful baby with the man she loved. And now someone had taken that from her.

Choosing the switchblade, Trish's body shuddered as she cried continuously. Fate has taken her mother, father, brother, and now baby daughter. _There's no reason for me to live anymore. _ The switchblade was dangerously sharp and Trish nicked her finger by merely touching it. Trish stared down at the weapons before her as she reminisced to a memory back in college. One of her old roommates was a cutter and she often went into graphic and precise detail of her procedures. The roommate never cut herself to cause damage more than a Band-Aid's worth. The cutting was meaningful, spiritual if you will.

However, now was not the time Trish was looking for a spiritual relief for a Band-Aid cut. If she cut herself, she would be unconscious. If the cut was deep, there was no doubt she would die within a few hours. Her body and spirit continued to weep as a million thoughts rushed into her mind. Her heart and mind were telling Trish to rethink her thoughts while desperation and agony told her something different. _I need to leave. I need to leave. _

Dave walked into the master bedroom after consulting with the Family. He was exhausted—his body was physically tired and he felt he could sleep for days. But he couldn't and he wouldn't. He had to know where Nevaeh was. "We have a game plan set, Honey." He sat down on the bed, looking at her back. "Everything is going to work out."

Trish grabbed the switchblade and held it against her wrist. "Okay." She said meekly.

Dave got up and walked over to her. "We just need to…." He then noticed Trish wasn't responding. "Trisha, honey…?" He then looked down at the weapons. "Trish…honey, what's going…"

Immediately, Trish burst into tears and cried on Dave's chest. Her legs gave out under her and Dave caught her just in time. Her body was shaking from her sobs and she held onto Dave. "I can't live without her, David." She sobbed. "I can't do it."

Dave carried Trish to their bed and held her close to her. He wrapped his arms around her as he stared out the window. Vampires were not supposed to feel emotion. He was trained to prey and kill without a second thought. For the first time in Dave's afterlife, he felt empty. "We'll find our baby girl, okay?" He comforted while he whispered to her. "We'll find her. Please don't leave me, Trisha. Don't leave me, Honey."

Trish nodded as she clutched onto her boyfriend. Not since the murder of her family had she felt an overwhelming feeling of grief. However, her grief soon turned to anger and revenge was on her mind. Trish suddenly pulled away from Dave and wiped her tears.

"Now." She stated with a fiery determination. Trish was not able to save her family but she damn sure could save her daughter. And she was going to do it by any means necessary. "I want to be turned now."


	31. The Beginning of the End

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I apologize for the lack of updates but as a few of you know, I was involved in a car accident before Christmas so I'm now getting back into writing. (I'm fine. My car, not so much. More details is on the myspace, click on link in my profile) _

_This story is wrapping up pretty soon so I can focus on my other stories. There might be a sequel to this story, if there's enough demand for one. Anyhoo, enough babbling…onto the story._

_P.S. Brownie points for anyone who can figure what song I used for Stephanie's last line in the chapter. _

_----------------------------------_

Champagne Hill was normally a quiet home, with the exceptions of the various torture techniques the Brood employed to their victims. A hard wind knocked the tree leaves against the window as the Brood gathered around the living room sofas. Eyes were bloodshot, and yawning was constant. Yet, the only thing anyone wanted was the painful noise to stop.

For an hour non-stop, Nevaeh had been wailing. While the Brood carefully planned Nevaeh's snatching, they weren't prepared to actually take care of her. She was quiet for the first several hours but when she suddenly woke up, the Brood was stunned. They didn't have formula or even diapers to take care of Nevaeh for the time being. Edge mistakenly thought the Family would fetch after Nevaeh as soon as they noticed she was missing.

How wrong he was. Now the Brood was fighting to stay awake and had the grouchy attitudes to accompany the tiredness. "Why won't she shut up?" Edge demanded.

Jeff tried his best to calm Nevaeh down. "She's probably hungry." Jeff added.

Edge looked around for available food nearby. He settled on an apple and tossed it over to Jeff. "There. Now make her quit." He instructed.

"You idiot, she's an infant. She's not going to eat an apple." Jeff said defiantly.

Edge pointed to the smirk on his face. "And this is me caring, Jeff. I don't give a flying fuck what she eats. Somebody make her shut up."

"Alright." Lilian complied. Her eyes turned dark as the fangs appeared. She was about to bite Nevaeh when she was suddenly thrown against the wall by Jeff.

He walked calmly over to Lilian and stared down at her. "Harm the child and I'll kill you." He hissed.

Lilian was about to throw Jeff against the wall until he made her still. "You have a better idea, Hardy?"

Jeff cradled Nevaeh as he spoke down to Lilian. "Oh, I have a few ideas. Seeing the different kind of artwork I could use with your intestines is one of them."

Before the vast display of blood could be painted on the walls, Edge suddenly interrupted the Brood. "I got it!" Edge smirked. "Grab the kid. I'm going to take her somewhere safe. Somewhere that no one would suspect where she is."

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As standard, The Brood entered the Palace. Her long brown hair was pulled tightly in a bun and she was wearing leotard-esque attire. Luckily for them, Stephanie was in the midst of a yoga session so her spirit was calm. That was, until she heard the familiar cries of an infant. Her brown eyes opened slowly as she looked up from her seated position.

"There's a reason you're holding my heiress." Stephanie said.

"We got the kid, but don't you worry!" Edge smiled. "She is being taken care of and nothing harmful has been done to her. And no, I haven't laid a finger on her at all."

Stephanie got up from the floor and walked over to Stacy, who was holding Nevaeh. "She's hungry." Stephanie cradled her. "She hasn't been fed." She then looked at the Brood with dreary eyes. "Please tell me you didn't try to feed her."

"We didn't know she was hungry." Lilian explained.

"You stole a six-week-old infant and it didn't occur to you that the baby could get hungry?" Stephanie asked.

The Brood looked amongst themselves. Unlike the Family who banded together, the Brood threw each other under the bus at the first possible chance. "It's Lily's fault." Carlito nodded.

Lilian snapped her head around and hissed at him. "My fault? Yeah because you're the bucket full of genius who knew she was hungry, huh?"

"Hey, I could've told you the baby needed food." He shrugged.

"Oh, you're so full of shit, Carlito." Lilian shot back.

"You're both full of it." Jeff added.

Lilian and Carlito turned towards him. "Shut up, Hardy!"

Suddenly, a lightening bolt struck down near the trio. All three huddled up together and scooted close to a nearby corner. "Shut up now or I'll make you quiet forever." Stephanie commanded. She then stood up from her throne and walked towards Edge. "Your job is done here. I suggest you go."

Edge nodded and grinned. "We'll be back later for the kid." He smiled.

Stephanie nodded. As always, Edge underestimated her powers and undermined her authority. Little did Edge know that Stephanie had no intention of giving her heiress back to him. "I'm sure you will."

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Within minutes of the Brood's departure, The Family barged into the Palace, seeking answers and wanting revenge. The Family could still smell the Brood's arrival at the Palace and immediately searched all over for them. Worse yet, they could also smell Nevaeh's scent and searched for her as well. Concluding that there was no evidence the Brood or Nevaeh was still present, the Family returned to the basement. There was no time for niceties and civilized conversation as all Family members impatiently waited for Stephanie's attention.

Stephanie, meanwhile, was in the Goddess yoga position. She was laying flat on her back with her legs open and her feet pressed together. Her palms were open and her eyes were closed. She was calm, collected, and relaxed. "She's sleeping here. I just fed her and now she's resting." She referred to Nevaeh. "I'm disappointed. You failed me miserably."

Dave didn't ask how Stephanie knew about Nevaeh's disappearance or when she received her. His only concern was to get her back into his arms. "How is this my fault?"

"Lover, you had all the resources to protect my heiress and you didn't." Stephanie calmly opened her eyes and motioned for Dave to walk closer to her. She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm disappointed."

"I want my daughter back." He answered.

"You'll get her back." She cut him short. "But you'll get her back when I feel you're ready to have her and right about now I'm not so sure you're ready for her now. However, that's not the only reason you're here, now is it?"

Dave reluctantly nodded. "No, it's not."

Stephanie stood up and motioned for Trish. She walked over to Stephanie, feeling a little uneasy of what was happening. "It's going to be excruciating. It's going to be painful. It's going to be wonderful. It's going to be beautiful." Stephanie referred to the turning. "Is this what you want?"

"I'm going to do anything to get my daughter back." Trish replied.

Stephanie smiled. "Let's begin, shall we?"

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The turning ceremony was sacred, protected, and upheld to the highest standard. It was considered a rite of passage to vampires, equivalent to a baptism or a wedding to humans. No one spoke a word, instead communicating with each other with telepathy and sign language. The Family members dressed in their hooded velvet cloaks and awaited direction from the Queen Mother.

Trish's mind was racing as she laid still on the long table. It was covered with a silk black sheet and surrounded by many candelabras. She was instructed to keep her eyes closed, which she unwillingly obliged. She was stark naked and she could feel the cold temperature creating goose bumps on her body. She felt light shined on her, presumably by the lit candles. She didn't know exactly how long she had been on the table but that didn't matter. Despite the heat in the basement, Trish was cold. However, she also knew that was not the only reason for the drastic change. Whether Trish wanted to admit it or not, she was scared as hell.

Her life would be different and there was no turning back. She would see clearer, feel emotions more passionately, and have stronger powers. But she would also be more susceptible to death if she wasn't careful. She wouldn't be able to be in the daylight for a short while and would need to consume blood almost daily for the first few months as she grew stronger. Yet, all of that did not matter to Trish as long as she had her baby girl back in her arms again.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by two sets of warm hands on her body. She felt Dave's hands on her face and Stephanie's on her ankles. Stephanie gently moved Trish's legs apart and climbed on top of her. "Look at me." She directed.

Trish opened her eyes and met Stephanie's gaze. Just like with Dave's turning, Trish was instructed not to speak unless told to. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Stephanie grinned and softly sucked on Trish's lips. She then directed Dave to shed his cloak as she removed hers. Both were naked and in hot anticipation. Stephanie then climbed back on top of Trish and caressed her face. Trish was noticeably shaking, though she tried not to. She was more nervous than she realized.

Stephanie smiled and kissed Trish again. "Relax. It's just sex."


	32. A Goddess is Born

_Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews and the continued interest! I'm still amazed by the popularity of this story and I sincerely thank everyone who has read and reviewed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!_

_The answer to the previous chapter was answered correctly by Michelle05, (it was Sexhibition by Janet Jackson). _

_This chapter contains strong sexual content. _

_------------------------------------------------_

"_There are two times you will ever see a woman at her complete emotional state," Taker once instructed to Dave and Rock, "when she is crying and when she is having an orgasm. If she'll let you see one state, she probably won't let you see the other. If she lets you see both, you need to make sure you only see more of one than the other. And I hope I don't need to spell it out for you which state I'm referring to." _

The Brood and the Family had their obvious differences—too many to name and not enough time to go into intricate detail about. Yet, the way both groups inducted new members into their respective brethren had a common ground—sex.

The similarities ended there, however. The Brood's form of sexual intercourse was more of a wanton need, a twisted appetite that begged and lured potential victims. The encounters, although could be sweet with the right victim, were often strewed in a manner that played to whatever fantasy a Brood member had. The victim could be tied up with pieces of another human's flesh or be the unsuspecting witness to an oral session with deadly results. It all depended on the Brood member and their attitude that particular time.

The Family used sex not as a weapon, but an extra additive to what was already going to happen. It was part personal enjoyment and part satisfying other's desires. None of them were boring or plain; quite adventurous and dominating if one were to watch. Stephanie was known as a goddess in all areas in the vampire world and it was no surprise she loved to school new conquests on lovemaking. It was how the members of both the Brood and the Family learned their sexual skills. It would also be how Trish will learn hers.

Stephanie took her time to kiss Trish, trying to relax and calm her down. She knew Trish was extremely nervous when she made her pump out the rest of her breast milk right before the turning ceremony. It was unavoidable that needed to happen and Trish was reluctant to do it. However, with Stephanie on top of her, Trish did not think of anything other than getting off.

Stephanie kissed her slow and sensually, occasionally stopping to stare down at her hazel eyes and smooth her hands through her hair. To Stephanie, foreplay never began with oral sex, but with a kiss. Whether it was a simple hand greeting or a passionate tongue-twist, foreplay always began in the mind. _"Anyone can fuck your body," She once said, "but it only takes one person to fuck your mind." _

Sensing that Trish was relaxed enough, Stephanie got off Trish and instructed her to get off the table as well. "We're going to sixty-nine." She directed as she laid back on the table.

Trish nodded and climbed on top of Stephanie, holding onto her soft thighs and easing her mound onto Stephanie's mouth. Almost immediately, the pleasure began. While the women were giving each other oral pleasure, Dave entered Trish from behind. He was thrusting slowly, intentionally taking long strokes for Stephanie to taste them both. Every once in a while, Dave would pull out and Stephanie would orally please him. She would then place him inside Trish again and encouraged the lovemaking. Now Stephanie was getting tired of the Cinemax-esque porn. She wanted more.

"Lover, fuck her." She ordered Dave.

He grabbed onto Trish's hips and began to thrust harder inside her. Trish tried not to moan but she didn't know how much longer she could contain the emotion. She finally moaned, holding onto Stephanie's thighs while Dave increased his pace. He felt a release approaching and Stephanie knew he was close. However, tonight was not about Dave. It was about Trish and Stephanie wasn't going to have a premature end to a long night.

Stephanie motioned for Dave to stop and looked up at him. "Don't you dare come, you got that?" She demanded.

Dave reluctantly nodded. He was so close, it was almost painful not to release. But he wasn't going to disobey the Queen Mother. "Yes."

The trio then switched positions with Trish once again lying on her back. Stephanie spread Trish's legs apart and climbed to her heat. She deeply inhaled, letting the intoxicating scents wash over her mind and body. She kissed her inner thighs, then her swollen nub. Dave then entered Stephanie from behind and she slightly gasped. A slow smile formed and she looked down at Trish.

"Watch each other." She instructed.

Dave slowly moved inside of Stephanie as she lowered her head to begin pleasing Trish. Meanwhile, Dave and Trish locked eyes, never leaving focus off each other. Both moaned and gasped at the incredible feeling, yet their eyes never closed. The moment was too intense to miss.

Stephanie lifted her head and licked her lips. She looked at Trish while she spoke to Dave. "You can come now, Lover. But not in me." She said as he kept moving inside her. "I want her to taste you."

Dave pulled out of Stephanie and hurried over to Trish, where he stood behind her. She tilted her head back and began to deep throat him while Stephanie kept licking her. Feeling a strong release forming, Dave gripped the table and emptied into Trish's mouth. It was now Stephanie's cue to begin.

Stephanie feasted on Trish more passionately, licking and sucking on her harder. Trish swallowed all of Dave and pulled her mouth away from him, feeling her orgasm approaching.

"Oh…oh…oh…" Trish breathed in short spurts and Stephanie just smiled.

"Now?" Stephanie asked.

"Now!" Trish cried as her back rose off the table.

Just when Trish was climaxing, Stephanie's fangs appeared and she sunk them into Trish's left thigh. Immediately, Trish felt a sharp pain and her body came down from the high. Stephanie raised her head slightly to kiss Dave, transferring some of Trish's blood and secretions to him. The eroticism of the action made Dave's fangs appeared and he gently bit Stephanie's lower lip, causing her to bleed inside his mouth. He then walked back to Trish's face and kissed her, letting her swallow and savor what he had. Dave and Stephanie then stepped back from the table and watched the moment everyone has been waiting for.

Trish was beginning to turn.

She felt the pain first on her skin, as if several paper cuts formed all over her body. Little by little was her body attacked. It was a sharp sting that grew excruciating worse by each new pain. Then her throat became hoarse, like if she had a very bad sore throat. The more she swallowed to relieve the pain, the worse it became. Her throat was on fire and Trish was on borderline tears.

Yet, nothing compared to what was happening to her major organs. Her stomach constantly turned in knots and her head began spinning. Whenever she opened her eyes, she felt more nauseated than before. Then her lungs began to close in on her. She felt a loss of breath and was gasping for air. She crouched in the fetal position and screamed in agony as she hit the floor hard.

Trish's reaction caused Dave to step forward, only to be held back from Stephanie. He wanted Trish to turn for the better part of the year he has known her. But he didn't realize how heart wrenching it was going to be to see her die right in front of him. He wanted to run out of the room. He wanted to cover his eyes and block the wrenching sounds of her moans out of his ears. But he couldn't. It was a part of the process and he only hoped she would experience it once.

"Let her go, Lover." Stephanie whispered.

Dave sighed as he continued to watch Trish morph into a vampire. He wanted to stop the pain and save his lover, but he also knew the pain was almost over. He silently waited in vain until the turning was near complete. Trish's cries turned into soft moans, signaling to the Family that she was finally making the transition.

Her blonde hair became a dark auburn color, contrasting between a coffee brown and a light chestnut. Her fingernails became longer, twice their normal length. Trish's skin tone darkened, becoming a sun-kissed tan color.

When the transition was complete, Trish sat up and opened her eyes. They morphed from a soft hazel to a deep brown. She blinked twice and was amazed by the clarity. She could see the creases of the wall texture. Her head then whipped around to hear the crackle of one of the candles burning a good fifty feet away from her. She swore it was next to her ear.

Trish got up and walked around as the Family watched her. She was cold upon entering the Palace, but her body heat quickly warmed up. She touched her skin; it was the softest she has ever felt. She felt every hair on her arm, making her realize that she needed to shave soon. Suddenly, a sharp pain emitted through her right side. Her thigh was slowly bruising from the hard fall.

Stopping at a complete circle, Trish looked at Stephanie and Dave. The Family gathered behind her and put another cloak on her naked body. The Family quickly kneeled behind Trish and bowed their heads. Trish looked behind and once again at Stephanie and Dave, confused by what transpired.

"You're the mother vampire to my heiress." Stephanie explained. "That within itself gives you a hierarchy amongst your brethren in the vamprical world. You have been given powers that are equal to those who have lived for well over a century. Over the next few days, you will discover the powers you have and the many different ways you can use them. I suggest you use them wisely or they will be taken away from you."

"A few days?" Trish questioned. She thought once she had turned, she would be given Nevaeh immediately.

"A few days." Stephanie said. "You want your daughter back, you need to earn her."

Trish agreed. She has come too far to stop now and she wasn't going to quit until Nevaeh was in her arms again. "It's done."

"Was there anything else?" Stephanie asked.

"One more thing." Trish said. "I'm hungry. Is it okay that I kill someone now?"

"Anyone." Stephanie smiled. "Was there a particular person you had in mind?"

Trish's memory flashed back to her bartending days at the Wood. She still wanted to finish the job she started on Randy. "Yes, actually, there is." She smiled, revealing white fangs.


	33. The Challenge

There is a saying that home is where the heart is. While Trish did not have a feeling of warm fuzziness when she pulled in front of the Wood, it was a strange feeling to be home again. She felt weird for even thinking the thoughts but she actually missed her old hangout and work place. She missed being hit on left and right by the college students. She missed sneaking off in the women's bathroom with Mickie to hash out boyfriend stories.

She missed how things were. Not necessarily how things were when she moved to Los Angeles, but how things were back in Livonia. She missed coming home and seeing that her mother just finished baking her favorite apple pie. She missed hearing the ruckus noise of her little brother and his garage band, hashing out cover tunes. She missed hearing her father and his college buddies reminiscing about old times and debating what one of them still "got it." She missed her family terribly and only wondered how they were enjoying their new life in Heaven.

As Trish parked her Harley and took off her helmet, she sighed deeply, reminiscing on what her life has become and where she is now. A year ago, she would've never thought she would be a mother vampire to an heiress. She never thought she would be considered royalty in the vampirical world. _Amazing, _she thought, _just simply amazing. _

She shook her brunette hair and finger-combed it as the other Family members pulled up beside her. They turned off their bikes and waited for direction. "If it gets crazy in there, you know what to do." Taker instructed as the Family gathered around him.

"Just say the word, and we'll finish him off." Rock added.

Trish nodded and took a deep breath. "I got it."

Dave approached his girlfriend. "Are you sure? I'll break his neck for you."

"Ooh, and I can tear off an arm!" Melina smiled.

"And I can cut out his eyes!" Nitro nodded happily.

"Pssh…" London shook his head. "You guys always take the fun parts first."

Trish smiled. "No, I got it. I need to do this one on my own."

"Okay." Dave kissed her forehead. "We'll be out here waiting for you."

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As Trish walked through the doors of the Wood, she was glad to see that it had not changed one bit. The dueling piano shows were still the biggest draw. People were lined up at the bar, trying to get drunk as humanly possibly. The bartenders and servers still wore the same skin-tight attire upon Randy's request.

"Is that my Trisha?" Mickie James squealed upon seeing her former co-worker.

Trish turned around and gave Mickie a hug. "Oh my God! It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you, too! Look at you, Ms. Pantene Hair Salon!" Mickie said as she admired Trish's hair color. "What have you been up to?"

_Getting knocked up by a vampire, having a baby that's considered to be an heir, and having superhuman strength. Oh yeah, I drink blood, too. What about you? _"Oh, nothing much. You still work here out of want or need?"

"Hah!" Mickie laughed loudly. "Bitch, I own this motherfucker! Yeah, when Orton got his ass handed to him, he was out of commission for weeks and the other owner wanted a third party to help run things around here. I was at the right place and the right time. Girl, it fucking kills that asshole knowing that he can't threaten to fire my ass anymore and that my opinion carries weight!"

"Good for you!" Trish smiled. "So, Orton got beat up, huh?"

Mickie shook her head. "He wouldn't say who. But I bet you anything it was by a boyfriend of one the girls he fucked over. I would feel sorry for his limp-dick ass but the motherfucker had it coming."

Trish smiled brightly. She knew there was no way in hell Randy would admit that of all things that had happened to him, it was because a girl beat him up. "Well, you reap what you sow."

"And that dumb-ass should be lucky he's still alive." Mickie laughed until her attention was interrupted. "Speaking of the limp-dick devil…."

From the moment she felt him sneak up behind her, Trish had a feeling of digestedness throughout her body. It was then Trish knew what Taker meant when he said some of her powers would work in ways she wouldn't be fond of. Trish turned around to see Randy stand over her. "Orton."

"Stratus." He coldly greeted. "Can I see you in my office?"

"You mean, my office, right?" Mickie corrected.

Randy shot a look at Mickie. "Can I use your office, Mickie?"

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't spread the herpes you have all over my desk." She then gave Trish another hug. "If you're not thoroughly disgusted by the little meeting, feel free to join me back out here."

"I might take you up on that offer." Trish smiled.

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With all of the things that Trish did miss about her old job, she did not miss one sure thing and that was the leering eyes of Randy Orton. "Yes, Orton?"

"What in the hell do you want, Stratus?" He snapped. "If you're begging for your old job back, you can go to hell."

"And this is why you brought me back here? So I can go to hell? Bucket full of genius you are." She grinned.

"Cute, real cute." Randy reached into the desk drawer and threw a piece of paper at Trish. "I hope you find that cute."

Trish stared down at the papers. Amongst other false claims, Randy was suing both her and Dave for aggressive battery and assault. "I've been served?" Trish looked down at the subpoena.

"Yeah. Mental anguish and distress after you and your gorilla-looking boyfriend caused my impotency."

Trish wanted to smile. She really wanted to laugh. A guy who boasted how hard, long, and strong he could go was having difficulties getting it up for another conquest. And since it had been a year Trish had last seen Randy, she could only wonder how many prescriptions of Viagra, Levitra and many other erectile dysfunction medications he has gone through. "I'm sorry to hear that." She replied.

"I bet you are." Randy rolled his eyes. "So why the fuck are you back here, anyways? Being a streetwalker wasn't paying you enough?"

"I'm back," Trish took off her leather jacket to reveal a barely-there halter top. "So we can talk."

Randy stared down at Trish's chest. Her breasts were perfect, not too big; not too small. And they had "Please suck us, Randy" written all over them. "About?"

Trish got up and shimmied out of her jeans. She then walked over to Randy and put her hand on his crotch area. "You're absolutely right, Orton. I'm not shit without you. And I finally came to my senses."

Randy was speechless as he felt an erection for the first time in a long while. Trish was merely touching his body and he was ready to explode. "I'm sure we can come to an arrangement of sorts, can't we, Randy?" Trish smiled. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to resolve any problems." She then straddled him and began to unbuckle his slacks. She pulled out his shaft and began stroking it. "Anything." She whispered as she nibbled on his right earlobe.

Randy found himself trying to breathe as Trish continued to stroke him. He was definitely becoming harder by the second and it was only a matter of time before he shot everywhere. But he also had no intentions of dropping the lawsuit and was going to use Trish to his advantage as often as possible. "Suck me off." He demanded.

Trish smiled. "You got it." Her fangs appeared and she sunk them into Randy's neck.

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"So who's better…?" Hunter said between moans. "Me or your precious Lover?"

Stephanie eased herself up and down on Hunter's shaft. She closed her eyes and threw her head back. Her hands were wrapped around his neck and he guided her up and down. "Trish." She replied.

"I know you're trying to be nice and all, Steph." Hunter grunted as he moved her. "But you can be honest with me."

"I am." She whispered. "She could teach you and Lover a thing or two."

The Brood walked upon a live sex show when they entered the Palace. Watching for a few minutes, Edge decided to interrupt his mentor and the Queen Mother. "Um hmm…" He cleared his throat.

Stephanie kept riding Hunter. If there was one thing that Stephanie hated the most, it was not being able to climax because she was interrupted. "What is it, Edge?" She said flatly.

Edge was hoping the Brood's sudden visit would distract Stephanie and Hunter. Instead, the pair continued as if they didn't exist. "We…we…we're here."

"For?" Stephanie replied.

"The kid." Edge replied. "We're ready to have her again."

"Oh no." Stephanie shook her head. "You're not getting her. She's mine."

Edge walked up to where Stephanie and Hunter were. He sat beside them on the king-sized bed, while they continued to make love. "No, no, no, no, Steph. You see…" Edge put his arm on her shoulder but quickly withdrew it once he saw her face. "We had a deal, remember?"

"No, we didn't." She corrected.

Edge slightly opened his mouth and made an expression in disbelief. "Uh, yes we did."

Now Stephanie knew she wasn't going to be able to climax because of what was about to transpire. If she had it her way, she would kill Edge without breaking a sweat and still get off at the same time. Instead, she would save that for later when he would really piss her off. Stephanie stopped riding Hunter and looked down at him. "Do you want to handle this or shall I?"

Hunter motioned for Stephanie to get off him. He then rubbed his chin and stared up at the ceiling, contemplating his thoughts. He wasn't concerned about being naked or the fact he still had an erection. "Exactly what were you geniuses thinking when you kidnapped the kid?"

"We'll lure the Family, destroy them and get the blonde chick." Carlito smiled.

"Uh-huh." Hunter nodded. "And all of you thought this through?"

"To the tee!" Edge smirked.

"Uh-huh." Hunter rubbed his goatee. "Except one little thing with that. You see, the blonde chick is now a vampire."

The Brood looked amongst themselves in stunned silence. Never once did they consider Trish would turn and they all knew the consequences of that action would be. "What?"

"So not only did you piss off Holy Mother over there." He pointed towards Stephanie. "But now you have a mother vamp who is gunning for you." He then shook his head. "Wow, I really don't know how you do it sometimes, Edge."

"When was she turned?" Lilian asked.

"A while ago." Hunter stated with all intention of being vague. "You should've been there. Nothing like some hot girl-on-girl action."

"You weren't there and you're forgetting Lover was there as well." Stephanie corrected.

"Like I said nothing like some hot girl-on-girl action." Hunter smiled.

"Whatever." Edge smirked. "I'm not scared of Batista or his posse of wannabees. If they want their precious baby, they need to come get her. In fact, I challenge them right here, right now. They want the baby, they can bring whatever they can to get her."

"Challenge accepted." Dave replied.


	34. All My Children

"_You don't have to be the biggest or the strongest." Edge once boasted. "You just have to be the smartest." _

Edge slowly rose off the bed, a biting smirk stretched across his face. For someone who seemingly asked for a death sentence with every ill-fated idea, he was calm, happy, and if one were betting, proud.

Edge knew what he was doing when he stole Nevaeh. Truth to the matter is while Edge told both the Brood and Hunter that he planned to use and raise Nevaeh to become evil, he primarily stole her to see if he could get away with it. To everyone's surprise except his own, he did.

He strolled down the steps, a little swagger in his walk. Every other step, there was a slight clinging noise due to the chain attached to his leather pants. He walked past the Brood to meet Dave face-to-face. As the Family members gathered behind Dave, so did the Brood members with Edge. Eyes were dark and intense, some had a cloudy appearance while others were black as night. Fangs were shown, ready for the first bite. Weapons were drawn for protection and death. In the vampirical world, all vampires were fair game just as humans were. Both groups needed just a nod or a signal from their respective leader and the fight was on.

While Edge had a usual smug on his face, Dave was using every restraint possible to not kill him. Truth to be told, if Dave had it his way, Edge would have died a sharp death many light-years ago. However, Dave could only imagine the harsh repercussions from Stephanie since she ruled over all vampires, good or bad.

"Hello there." Edge greeted as he put his arms on the shoulders of Lilian and Carlito. "What brings this joyous visit?"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't feed your balls to you." Dave countered.

"Ooh, touché, touché." Edge smirked. "Touchy, aren't we, today?" He glanced over at Trish. "And how are you, Trisha? Doing well? How's the breast-feeding coming along?"

With her mind, Trish twisted Edge's genitalia. Tight knots shot through his lower region as he tried to keep his focus. The pain was excruciating, almost as if someone was nailing his skin together. It became too much as he became crossed-eyed and bent over. Seeing Edge in withering pain brought a smile to Trish's face. "You should do something about those blue balls, Edge." She smiled.

Meanwhile, Stephanie and Hunter watched the drama unfold from their king-sized bed a short distance away. Hunter was sitting up while Stephanie sat behind him with her legs were flanked on both sides of his waist. She was nibbling on his earlobe and playing with his long blonde hair while he caressed her legs. "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about dinner tonight, Steph." Hunter smirked as he saw the impending feud. "Looks like there'll be enough bloodshed to last us a few days."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and slapped the back of Hunter's head. A servant quickly covered Stephanie's body and she walked off the platform to stand between the feuding groups. "I see all my children are here to play." She looked at Dave and Edge. "Well, since we're going to play, there are rules to follow.

"Rule number one, no one dies." She stated as both groups looked at her and began pointing the finger towards the other. She quickly raised a hand and both groups were silent. "If anyone dies, it is because I killed them. And given your actions of late, all of you have given me more than enough reason to kill each and every one of you. Do I make myself clear?"

Both groups nodded. "Yes, Queen Mother."

"Good." Stephanie grinned. "Second rule is that the battle will occur when I say it should and now isn't the time. However, just because it's not happening now doesn't mean it won't happen very soon. Until then…." Stephanie's face turned cold. "Get out."

Edge approached Stephanie. "Steph, come on. You know you don't…"

Suddenly, Stephanie's eyes turned bright red and her voice became a twisted, demonic sound. Lightning flashed behind her and thunder shook the steady floor. "Get out." She demanded.

The Brood and the Family nearly tripped over each other trying to exit out of the Palace. Seeing the groups were out of her mind and sight, Stephanie morphed back into her normal form and re-joined Hunter on the bed, who wasn't impressed.

"You always gotta do the bitch trick, don't you?" Hunter shook his head.

Stephanie removed her robe and laid down. She caressed her breasts and smoothed her hands over her waist. "You have two choices…" She began, "either you make me climax or you'll die." She smiled.

Hunter climbed on top of Stephanie. "So where were we?"


	35. Valentine's Day Massacre

Several more weeks passed since the showdown at the Palace. Days and nights have come and gone. Everyone was on edge; tempers were hot, and patience was nonexistent. The feelings, however, were not just between the Brood and the Family. It was the general feeling in the vampirical world. The latest celebrity gossip paled in comparison to the buzz surrounding the battle. Wagers were set, predictions were made, and above all, the lingering question was going to be answered: Who was going to get Nevaeh?

It was just the way the Queen Mother wanted it. She asked for a battle and she got one. _My children are becoming restless and anxious, _Stephanie thought, _good. Very good. _

Giving Trish more time to prepare for the fight of her life, Stephanie chose Valentine's Day for the battle date. She chose St. Valentine's Day for a number a reasons but most significantly, because the holiday was her favorite. There was something romantic about lovers showing their appreciation, women wearing sexy lingerie and men spending a small fortune on gifts galore. It also meant more business for Stephanie in her dominatrix get-up.

It was also the Queen Mother's favorite holiday for another reason: The St. Valentine's Massacre. She often boasted to her servants that she was there after the bloodshed and helped "clean up" so to speak. No one knew specifically if Stephanie was telling the truth or a tall-tale but her love for Mafia flicks in combination with the way she handled personal affairs made many a vampire believe she did had some Mafia blood in her.

It was now midnight. The sky was pitch-black and the stars sparkled. There was a crisp breeze, not a biting cold, but chilly enough that a person was probably rubbing their arms and hands for warmth. Regardless of temperature, the air was perfect for battle. Other vampires soon gathered and situated themselves on roofs of other buildings. Meanwhile, Stephanie, Rock, Taker, and Hunter gathered on top of the roof of an abandoned building. They ate popcorn while their legs dangled from the edge of the roof.

"What in the hell is taking them so long?" Hunter asked as he looked around. "I'm getting anxious here."

"Patience, Hunter." Stephanie placed a hand on his thigh. "Good things come to those who wait."

"But how much longer are we going to wait for this shit?" Hunter snacked on some popcorn. "

"Where's the heiress?" Taker asked.

"She's at the Palace." Stephanie commented as she sipped a glass of wine. "She's waiting to see who's going to take her home."

"And who's going to take her home?" Rock questioned.

"That depends," Stephanie paused. "Whoever wants her bad enough."

A sudden, heavy mist traveled through the air and settled over the street. Within seconds, the mist disappeared and The Brood appeared. They were dressed all in black leather and holding various items of weaponry. Hair was wet and gelled, fangs were shown, and grips were adjusted on the swords, pipes, and baseball bats.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." Edge called out. "You can't hide from me forever, Batista." He grinned.

However, the Family didn't respond to Edge's calling.

Several minutes passed and the Brood was getting restless. Jeff and Carlito sat on the concrete while Stacy and Lilian waited over to the sidewalks. Edge stepped forward and looked around. He used his powers to scope Dave, looking inside of buildings and other possible hiding spots. Still, Dave and the Family were nowhere to be found. "Where are you, Batista?" He whispered.

"Right behind you." Dave smiled, startling Edge.

Edge dropped his machete and slightly backed away, only to bump into other smiling members of the Family. "Scared, Edge? You look like you've seen ghosts." London smiled.

Edge catapulted himself over Dave and the Brood surrounded him. "Batista…" Edge smiled and licked his lips. "Nice for you to join us, finally."

While the Brood wore all black to coincide with their mischievousness, the Family stuck with the color that had represented them from the beginning—blood red. Long suede overcoats covered various choices of attire. Melina, Nitro, and London wore matching vests while Dave and Trish wore tank tops. All wore dark jeans and boots to complete their look.

They weren't trying to be fashionable or impress anyone. If it was up to Taker, they would've just worn old rags and torn-up clothing. Yet, Dave and Taker knew the importance of the battle. It would be spoken of for years and the last thing they wanted was someone to comment on the beating the Family gave the Brood and add 'But did you see what they wore?' at the end of the sentence.

However, fashion had to take a backseat as Dave took off his overcoat and threw it to the side. "Ready to get the beating of your life?" He quietly asked Edge.

"Ready to get beaten of an inch of yours?" Edge replied.

From the roof, the elders watched in high anticipation. "This is what I'm talking about." Rock smiled.

"Remember…" Stephanie echoed from the roof. "No one dies."

Edge turned to Stephanie and then smiled at his nemesis again. "Hear that, Batista?" Edge smirked. "You can't kill me."

Dave suddenly grabbed Edge's throat and lifted him up high in the air. "You're right, I can't." He smiled as Edge struggled to free himself. "But it doesn't mean I'm not going to fuck you up."


	36. The Plagues

_Author's Note: I apologize for the delay but I had to research how to write a fight scene. Because I had to do a lot of research, the fight scene is going to be broken up into three chapters. There is also going to be a surprise twist in the next one. _

_Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and passed the word about this story. I sincerely thank each and every one of you! _

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_When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever._

Proverbs 10:25

Dave let go of Edge, causing him to fall hard on the ground. He then slowly backed away as the Brood began to inch closer towards the Family. Unexpectedly, the Brood began to toss knives, swords and other sharp objects towards the Family. In rapid-fire response, the Family bent over backwards to avoid death. Melina and Trish began to do back flips as the Brood hastily walked towards them.

"You want some, Trisha?" Stacy dared. "Bring it on!" She immediately leaped high in the air.

Trish catapulted herself and joined Stacy on an abandoned building. "I trusted you, Stacy and you deceived me."

Stacy took a swipe at Trish, who ducked. "Everyone is out for themselves. Can you blame me?" She said before she smiled. "You're a dead woman." Stacy then lunged towards Trish.

Trish grabbed Stacy by her collar. She then lifted her up and held her high. Trish closed her eyes and then opened them. Her eyes were not the usual grey color. One eye had a mushroom cloud while the other had an image of flooding water.

"Never take a child from her mother." She said quietly.

In a far distance, a thunderous sound and heavy wind appeared. Carlito, Jeff, Stacy, and Liilan froze as they watched what was happening. A hailstorm formed with two-inch droplets of hail combined with fire. The fire and hail moved quickly, making more vampires duck for cover. Other vampires took shelter whilst the elders watched in anticipation.

"Shit." Taker shook his head.

"What is it?" Rock inquired.

"I can't believe they're actually doing it." He replied.

"Doing what?" Hunter asked.

"The Plagues of Egypt." Stephanie replied.

Biblically, the Plagues of Egypt are the ten calamities inflicted upon Egypt by God recounted in the book of Exodus. It was no surprise to anyone with how spiritual the Family was they decided to fight not with their hands, but with their minds.

The Family members immediately turned to mist to avoid the hailstorm while the Brood ran for cover. "We'll be waiting…" The Family echoed from the distance.

Edge stood up and licked his lips. The Brood gathered behind him as they looked up at the sky. "The Family wants to play? We're going to play." He smiled.

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Nitro and Jeff had many similarities between them. They loved alternative music, dyed their hair in all colors of the sun, and were extremely athletic. If it wasn't for the fact that they hated each other, they would be two peas in a pod. Jeff never cared for Nitro and there was no particular reason for it; he just didn't like him. Nitro, on the other hand, couldn't care less about Jeff. But when Nevaeh was stolen, everything changed. Nitro was more determined to beat Jeff's ass.

Both men met on top of a building and paced each other. They studied each other, sensing which one would make the first move.

"Hardy…." Nitro greeted as he took off his long overcoat. "I see you finally got rid of those love handles you wore so well."

"Cute, Nitro." Jeff said as he took off his T-shirt. "Not as cute as the ass-whooping I'm about to give you."

Using his mind, Jeff threw Nitro fifty feet away, causing Nitro to crash hard on the rooftop. Nitro immediately got back up, just to have Jeff in his face, hissing at him. Nitro quickly retaliated by slamming his fist into Jeff's stomach. He then catapulted himself in the air. When he landed, Jeff was waiting for him.

"Nice try for a rookie." Jeff smiled. He then gave Nitro a flying roundhouse kick. Nitro once again flew clear across the rooftop and sharply landed. He groaned at the impact and grabbed his shoulder. Jeff flew to Nitro and landed right next to him.

"Want more?" Jeff picked up Nitro and threw him across the roof again. That impact had the worst effect, for Nitro could barely move.

Nitro slowly turned around. He was still rubbing his shoulder as he looked up at Jeff, who once again flew to his side. "I do…" He mumbled. "…but first you need to wash your hair."

"What?" Jeff looked at his strands. Lice were crawling around his head, down to his shoulders. He tried to wiped them off but as he did that, more lice appeared.

"Get them off! Get them off me!" Jeff begged as he fought the lice.

Nitro scooted back and watched the sight before him. A slow smile formed on his face. "Can't do that, man."

-----------------------------

If there were two vampires that hated each other more than Dave and Edge, it was Melina and Lilian. Other than Trish, Melina was considered the prize catch amongst vampires. She was sexy, powerful and intelligent. She was also wicked in bed, having a drive that would put a porn-star to shame. Threesomes with Nitro and London were a frequent occurrence in Melina's world.

But putting up with Lilian's shit was not. Melina guessed Lilian hated her on the sheer fact Melina looked better than her. _Why else would the old bitch hate me? _As the two vamps circled each other, there was no love lost.

"You always tried to copy me, hyena." Lilian circled her. "My hair, my clothing, my body, my men…everything."

"You old-ass wench, there is not a goddamn thing of yours I wanted emulate." Melina sneered.

"You know what? I'm not going to fight you." Lilian said as she began to walk away.

Melina didn't believe Lilian for a second and remained still, much to Lilian's chagrin. "I said I'm not going to fight you." Lilian smiled. Her eyes turned black and her fangs appeared. "I'm going to kill you." She began throwing knives at Melina.

Melina ducked the knives as she walked towards Lilian. "Nice try, Blondie." Melina smiled.

"You're going down, hyena." Lilian threw another set of knives towards Melina.

Melina calmly walked towards Lilian, slapping the knives out of reach before they reached her body. "Try harder, try again." She taunted.

Lilian screamed as she threw the last knife. Melina caught the last knife with her hands, making Lilian stunned.

"No, I think you're going down." Melina then threw the knife back at Lilian. The knife pinned her against a wall.

"Is that the best you can do?" Lilian taunted. She lunged forward. Her clothing shredded and remained on the knife. She then pulled out a hidden dagger and charged at Melina.

She made quick swipes at Melina, barely missing her body. Melina ducked and bent over. She quickly walked backwards, eventually tripping over her boots. She fell backwards as Lilian stood over her. Her fangs showed and her eyes became cat-like.

"Goodbye…" Lilian whispered, "…hyena…"

Melina quickly closed her eyes and opened them. Her pupils were black as the midnight air. "You're not going to kill me with that, are you?" She asked child-like.

"Damn right!" Lilian said as she tried to stab Melina. Melina smiled and giggled once Lilian realized what happened.

"You know, Lili…" Melina laughed. "If you wanted me to fuck you, all you had to do was ask…"

Melina turned Lilian's dagger into a phallic object.


	37. Guess Who's Back?

_His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins._

_Proverbs 5:22_

London and Carlito had reason to hate each other. They both worked at rival clubs, were very street-smart and incredibly good looking. They kept their bodies in the tip-top shape and trained hard in their fighting. Both vampires also had a way with the ladies—both victims and fellow vamps.

So it was no wonder why the two vampires hated each other. They both felt they were next in line to rule the streets and the vampirical world—and the other was in his place.

"Yo, man. Let's fight." Carlito nodded.

"Just a minute." London held up a finger as he stared down at his iPod. Carlito was annoyed that he was ignored and stood behind London. Little to his surprise did he see London engrossed in a porn movie he downloaded on his iPod.

"Ooh, that's it…yeah, spank her little ass." London smiled.

Carlito stared at London. He made a disgusted face as the young vampire continued to watch his porn. Tired and thirsty for blood, Carlito dissipated London's iPod wit his mind.

"You fucked with my porn." London smiled as he stood up and turned around. "Oh, you're one dead motherfucker." Without notice, London waved his arm and sent Carlito flying against a brick wall. London flew towards him. Carlito mustered the strength and kicked London in his stomach. London flew across the street. He landed sharply on the concrete.

London slowly began to get up when he noticed Carlito was staring at him from afar. "Hey dumbass," Carlito yelled. "You like fire, huh?" He then made a pitching motion with his arms.

"Ah shit!" London quickly moved away as a large fireball shot towards him. He hid behind an abandoned car as large fireballs flew overhead. "This shit is not cool." London shook his head.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a large thud on the roof of the car. London shook his head. _Fuck!_ He then looked up and saw Carlito staring back at him. "Ready to die?" Carlito asked.

"Hmm…let me think about that." London pondered. "No, not yet." He then grabbed Carlito off the hood. He slammed him on top of another car. London flew on top of the car. He stood over Carlito and smiled. "I'm having way too much fun with this."

Carlito suddenly kicked London off the hood. London flew several more feet, breaking the glass window of a shop. He didn't attempt to get up as his body was too sore. "I'm just going to stay here for the time being." He mumbled.

Slow steps on broken glass disrupted the quiet air. London kept his eyes closed as he sensed Carlito's presence. "You're a dead man, dumbass." Carlito snickered.

London opened his eyes and smiled. "Does that hurt?"

"What does what hurt?" Carlito sneered.

London nodded towards Carlito's arm. "That. Does that hurt?"

Carlito stared at his body. Little by little, boils were formed all over his body. Carlito panicked and ran as far as possible.

London watched Carlito run in the distance. He shrugged. "I told you not to fuck with my porn."

-------------------------------------------------

His mind was clear and surprisingly empty. Usually he had at least one thought in his head at any given time. However, this particular night for Dave's mind devoid of any drama. _I'll have that soon enough. _

Dave slowly walked down the street. His footsteps were the only sound in the crisp, cool air. To the human flesh, the temperature would be cold, and nipping. To Dave, however, the temperature was perfect. It was perfect for a fight. It was perfect for the battle. It was perfect to hand Edge his ass.

Upon reaching his destination, Dave noticed Edge. He was staring up at the sky with his hands casually resting on his stomach. From the short distance, he was whistling, as if he was contemplating about the stars and the meaning of life.

"Batista…" Edge called out as he sat on an old car. One leg was raised on the hold, while the other dangled off the side. He slowly rose up. Just as with the other Brood members, his eyes also became cat-like.

"Are you ready to die?" He smiled.

Before Dave could react, Edge whipped several daggers at him. Dave quickly disappeared into the night.

"You always gotta do that disappearing shit, don't you?" Edge screamed. He violently took off his coat. He then threw it on the ground. "Fight me like a man, you coward."

Dave appeared in front of Edge's face. He then landed violent blows to Edge's jaw. Edge retaliated by spearing Dave into a light pole. Edge then picked up a nearby wrench. He swung it towards Dave's head. Dave ducked as the force of the swing caused the wrench to get stuck in the pole. Dave hastily picked up Edge and slammed his body against the side of a car.

"I told you not to mess with my baby girl." Dave warned. He was about to finish Edge off when he heard the cries of a baby. The familiar cries. It was Nevaeh.

Dave turned around and followed the sound. He saw that she was in the backseat of a car. He smiled and tried to open the door. It was locked. He melted the locks with his mind but the action had an adverse effect. Fire was slowly starting inside the car.

"No…NO!!" Dave screamed as he tried to open the door. Soon, Nevaeh disappeared as if she never existed.

"You know, I really like this illusionist shit. But I prefer to kick your ass instead." Edge smiled. He then slammed Dave's head onto the car. "Problem, Dave?" Edge said from behind. Dave bounced off the hood and fell hard to the concrete. He groaned and grabbed his body, as he struggled to get up.

"I thought you were going to fuck me up, Batista." Edge smirked as he kept kicking Dave. "I thought you were going to give it to me."

Dave clutched his stomach while he crawled on the concrete. Edge did not have any pity towards Dave as he kept kicking him. Edge laughed as he watched Dave slowly crawl to a stop. He grimaced while he kept holding onto his stomach. "How does it feel, big man? Huh? How does it feel that I just whipped your ass?"

Dave reached out for Edge, who wiggled his foot in front of him. "Did you want to come get me, big man? Did you want to?" Edge smiled and pulled out a sharp knife. "You know, Steph made a rule that no one dies but I feel that rules are meant to be broken."

Edge climbed on top of Dave and held the knife above his face. "I'll make sure to tuck in Nevaeh tonight."

Suddenly, Dave's body mutated into a female form. His body became smaller as manicured fingernails formed, breasts appeared, and his look developed into a more feminine appearance. His dark short hair changed into a sandy blonde color that was a bob cut. His thin lips became full ones, touched by a dash of red color. His toasted almond skin formed a bronzed shade. And his voice morphed from the intoxicating low rumble to a woman's moans. Edge was so mesmerized by the sight he dropped his knife to the side.

"Goddamn, you're heavy!" She said as she forcibly pushed Edge off her.

Edge was scared shitless at the sight he saw before him. He blinked twice hoping that he was just hallucinating. But he knew he wasn't. What he saw before his very eyes was his past coming back to haunt him. All five and a half feet of her.

"What's wrong, Edge?" Kimberly spoke to him. "You look like you've seen a ghost."


	38. The Notorious KIM

_Author's Note: This is the last chapter of The Family. As standard with my other long-ass stories (lol), this one will also have a follow-up epilogue. For those who were wondering why The Brood was kept alive in this story, the answer is pretty easy. There is going to be a sequel. I'm not sure when I'll be able to start it but I hope to start it sometime late this year. _

_Once again, thank you to everyone who has supported my first supernatural story. Thank you those who just read it, those who read and reviewed, and those who passed the word about the story. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported this story and my writing career to date. It means bunches to me that you enjoy what I love to do! Thank you, thank you, thank you! _

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness._

_Proverbs 11:5_

Edge swiped at Kimberly, only to see his hand went through her body. "You're dead! I killed you."

Kimberly suddenly threw Edge against a brick wall. He slumped into a heap and she walked over to him. "You killed my body but not my spirit."

Edge quickly got up and lunged for Kimberly, who disappeared. "Edge…" She whispered in the dark night. "What's wrong, Edge? Are you okay?"

"Fuck you, Kim! You deserved to be killed!" He dared as he looked around him. "You deserved it!" He was suddenly thrown face first against another brick wall.

"That wasn't very nice of you, Edge." Kimberly replied, her body still invisible.

Edge took off his shirt. "Alright, you want to play, little girl? Let's play." He scanned the buildings, hoping to sense where Kimberly was hiding. As Edge scanned a figure appeared in a nearby distance, who moved closer and closer towards him. Just as Edge was ready to attack, he was caught off-guard.

The force threw Edge clear across the street, crashing through a window. Kimberly appeared standing over Edge. She was smiling. "Are you okay?"

Edge got up. He charged after Kimberly, who merely laughed when Edge went through her body. When Edge turned around, he was met with a sharp kick to his face. He flew through the store's window.

Kimberly calmly walked over to Edge. She climbed on top of him and pulled his face to hers. Her face then began to morph into the souls of Edge's past. Those who were tortured, murdered and deceived appeared before Edge's eyes. "_Acquiris quodcumque rapis._" She repeated as her face continued to morph. "You will reap what you sow. _Acquiris quodcumque rapis_."

Edge screamed as he pushed Kimberly off him. He continued screaming as he ran down the street. Kimberly didn't bother to catch up with him since he was long gone. Edge ran past the Brood and they quickly followed suit. Satisfied with the results, Kimberly joined the other members of the Family.

"I don't think Edge and his little friends are going to bother us for a while." Kimberly stated. The Family members did not respond as it was the first time any of them had seen Kimberly. Kimberly, however, was not impressed. "You want to take a picture? It'll last longer."

The other members of the Family immediately bowed down to Kimberly. She shook her head and motioned for them to get up. "Stop it. I'm not that special." She then walked over to Trish and formally introduced herself.

For the first and probably one time, Trish and Kimberly were meeting face to face. The past was meeting the present and future. "You're keeping my Bear happy." Kimberly asked.

"I am." Trish nodded.

Kimberly approached Trish and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "Thank you for taking care of him. He needed you."

Tears formed and Trish let them fall down her cheeks. She held onto Kimberly tight and caressed her hair. "Thank you for letting me."

"Thank you." Kimberly replied. She pulled away from Trish. "I need to go now."

"No, please don't." Trish shook her head. "We still need you here."

"It's time, Trisha." Kimberly said as she began to fade away and Dave began to reappear. "I'll be watching you." Kimberly then disappeared as Dave came back to life.

She collapsed on the concrete and the Family stood around her. They watched as Kimberly morphed back into Dave. Her bob cut became short and black. Her breasts formed into muscular pectorals. Her whole being disappeared as Dave reappeared.

Once the morphing was completed, the Family members helped Dave stand. He was shaking his head, trying to become aware of his surroundings.

Trish walked up to him and stood in front of her lover. "Are you okay, David?" She asked.

Dave shook his head as Nitro and Melina held him up. "Remind me to never do drag again."

"Well, well, well…" Stephanie said as she walked up to the Family. "Job well done."

Dave nodded as the Family gathered around him. "Thank you."

"Thank you." Stephanie smiled. She snapped her fingers. Taker appeared from the darkness. He was holding Nevaeh.

"Welcome home, Nevaeh." He said as he held her. He then placed Nevaeh in Trish's arms. She cried sweetly and Trish began tearing up.

"I never thought I would love to hear her cries." She said as she held her daughter. "Mommy missed you, baby."

"You won the battle so she is yours. But I am warning you…" Stephanie said as she began to fade away. "…this happens again, and I won't be so nice."

"Ready to go home?" Taker asked the Family, who nodded. "Let's go and put baby girl to bed."

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At the Family's home, everything was back to normal. The calm and soothing feeling of the Family's home returned as each member spent one-on-one time with Nevaeh again. Later that night, Dave and Trish went upstairs to spend some alone time with their daughter, leaving the other Family members reminisced on the evening's battles.

"Dude, you should've seen his face!" London exclaimed. "He looked like his face threw up."

"Man, that's not shit to what I did to Hardy." Nitro shrugged. "The fool didn't see it coming."

"Lilian had no idea what a dildo looked like." Melina laughed. "I bet you anything she's using it right now."

Meanwhile, Dave and Trish were upstairs in bed. Nevaeh was in between them. They were both watching their daughter as she cooed and moved around. Each held one of Nevaeh's hands as she gripped their fingers.

"Our baby girl is home, David." Trish whispered.

"Where she belongs." He replied.

Trish sighed as she continued to stare at her daughter. She then looked up at Dave. "Thank you."

"For?"

"Showing me what love is. For showing me what family is." She leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you."

"Thank you." Dave smiled. "For showing me how to feel emotion again. For showing me how to love again."

Dave and Trish immediately felt a fire burning inside them. Not since Trish was turned were Dave and Trish intimate. With their daughter back at home, now was a time as ever.

"Can the kids watch Nevaeh tonight?" She asked. "I need to release some aggression."

Dave quickly gathered Nevaeh and called for the Family. Nitro, Melina, and London quickly went to Dave's bedroom. "Yeah, man?" London asked.

"Watch Nevaeh tonight." Dave gave her to Melina. "Trish and I are going to be busy for a couple hours."

The kids smiled and they quickly walked out of the room. Sensing what was going to happen with Dave and Trish, Melina whispered to Nitro. "I want you now." She then placed Nevaeh in London's arms.

With two couples making love, London found himself playing the role of babysitter. "Uh-huh…sure, give the kid to London…" He mumbled. He then looked down at Nevaeh, who was smiling at him. He then began to walk her to his room. "Hey Nevaeh, have you ever seen Big Titties 4? You're a tit girl, right? Oh, you'll love this one…"


	39. My Mommy and Daddy Will Bite You!

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read and/or reviewed! Thank you! The epilogue is a bit long so I broke it up into two chapters. Here's part one._

_---------------------------------------------------------_

"This is nice."

"You like?"

"I like. I'm just curious about one thing…"

"Yes?"

"When do you think we'll stop levitating?"

Trish and Dave experienced one of the most emotional and physical connections ever. The lovemaking has always been top-notch but with Trish being a vampire, it was better than ever. From her flexibility that put an Olympic gymnast to shame to Dave's incredible virility, it was a wonder that the mansion didn't fall apart.

From a standing position to floating missionary, Dave and Trish made love throughout the night. Dave particularly loved to pleasure Trish when she was bent over backwards. All he had to do is get on his hands and knees to feast on her while her body stretched. He made sure he licked and kissed her slowly. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall flat on her back.

"We'll come down eventually." Dave assured her as he rubbed her arms. "Unless you have somewhere to be?"

Trish shot a look at Dave. "Nooooo...I was just wondering." She paused slightly. "So you going on for a few hours…should I get used to that?"

"Unless I just want to dip it in and pull it back out." Dave shrugged.

Trish pushed Dave off her. "Okay, I think it's time I come down now."

Dave and Trish slowly lowered their bodies down to the bed. Putting on a robe, Dave went to London's room. He found London and Nevaeh sleeping in an open casket. They both had headphones that were connected to the portable DVD player. Dave reached over and picked up the DVD case. "Big Titties 4?" He wondered.

"He made our three-month old watch porn?" Trish shook her head.

"Get pissed off at him tomorrow, Trisha." Dave picked up Nevaeh and they walked back to their bedroom. "Right now, we have a sleeping baby."

Hours later…

The Family became so accustomed of having a full night's rest, any disturbance immediately caught them off-guard. Therefore, it was quite unnatural for them to be awakened in the middle of the night by a wailing infant. No amount of milk, diaper changes and slow walks could quiet Nevaeh. Oh how Trish and Dave missed their sleep.

"Is she sick?" Nitro asked as he yawned.

"No fever." Trish kept comforting her daughter.

"Hungry?" Melina yawned.

"Trish fed her twice." Dave shrugged.

"Then what is it?" Nitro asked.

Everyone shrugged as they each tried to comfort Nevaeh. After an hour, it was to no avail. Nevaeh was not calm and the Family were still wide awake. Everyone except one vampire. "Where's London?" Dave looked around.

The other vampires looked amongst themselves. "I don't know." Melina answered. "I haven't seen him."

Dave gathered Nevaeh, headed to London's room, with the Family in tow. As he opened the door, he was stunned to see London in his casket—snoring. On the screen was one of his porn movies. "I have an idea." Dave mentioned. He carefully placed Nevaeh inside London's casket. He slightly rolled over and kissed the side of her head. Nevaeh soon fell asleep in London's arms shortly afterwards.

Nitro was astounded. "Please don't tell me that the princess here…fell asleep…listening to porn?"

Melina shook her head. "Well, I'll be damned."

"He's not going to hump her, is he?" Trish asked.

"No," Dave shook his head. "She's not long enough."

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Over the next several years, the Family grew accustomed to having a precocious child in their mix—which wasn't too unusual since London and Nitro paved the way for Nevaeh. While London and Rock taught Nevaeh how to play touch football, Nitro taught Nevaeh new words from the dictionary.

"Blue's clues! Blue's clues!" Nitro, London, and Nevaeh sang along to the screen. "We gotta find another paw print; that's the second clue! We put in our notebook because it's who's clues? Blue's clues!"

Melina and Trish watched from the distance as they set out dinner. "Okay, you three. Time for dinner."

Five-year-old Nevaeh jumped off Nitro's lap and hurried to the dining room table. Over the years, she has grown into her features. Depending on what angle one saw her, she resembled either Dave or Trish. But it was never doubted she was a beautiful child. And a smart one at that. She then sat in her custom-made chair that had lifters so she could see over the table. She sniffed the air and sighed. "This food is causing great euphoria in me, Mommy."

Trish chuckled as the other vampires smiled. "Oh really? And you know what euphoria means?"

"Yes, Mommy. It's happiness." Nevaeh smiled. "You-four-eeee-ahh."

"Euphoria, I got it." Trish smiled.

The house phone rang and Dave picked it up. As everyone gathered around the table, they could tell that Dave was not happy about what was told to him on the other end of the phone. "Alright. We'll meet with you tomorrow, sir. Thank you." He hung up the phone. He then walked over to the table and sat next to his girlfriend and daughter. "We have a parent-teacher conference."

"Oh?" Trish looked down at Nevaeh. "Something you want to tell us, Nevaeh?"

"Uh-uh." She shook her head.

"You're sure?" Dave asked. "Mr. Striker says you've been acting up in class."

"Uh-uh!" She protested. "I've been a good Nevaeh."

"Okay." Trish looked at Dave. "What was the conference regarding?"

"He wouldn't say but it said it was urgent that we met tomorrow." Dave shrugged. "I guess we have to wait and see."

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Matt Striker was Nevaeh's kindergarten teacher. He was astute and muscular man, with a penchant of showing off his Harvard education. Yet, he was also great with children and his classroom was known to be the best. He also had a tendency to rub the parents of his students the wrong way by being characteristically condescending to them.

However, there was a set of parents Matt feared: Dave and Trish.

Matt was more than a little apprehensive when he decided to call them for an urgent meeting. Dave was over six and half feet tall and appeared menacing. Trish seemed to have a forever scowl on her face. And Matt wondered what their reactions would be when they found out Nevaeh was in trouble. _Just…fucking…great._

Gulping down some ice cold water, Matt ran a hand through his hair as he saw Dave and Trish approaching his classroom. _Easy, Striker, just be easy with them._

"Nice for you to join me so quickly." Matt said as he motioned for Dave and Trish to sit.

"Not a problem." Dave looked over at his daughter, who was sitting in a corner. "Nevaeh, come here, baby."

Nevaeh got up and walked over to Dave and Trish. She sat in between them and kept her head down.

Matt sighed as he began to speak. "There's been a slight problem with Nevaeh." He began.

"Yes?" Trish and Dave said together.

"You know we encourage our students to be the best and use their imagination whenever possible." Matt nodded. "But we also encourage them to tell the truth."

"What's the problem?" Trish asked.

"Nevaeh has been telling everyone that her mommy and daddy are vampires." Matt frowned.

Dave's and Trish's eyes widened as they looked down at their daughter. Nevaeh's head was bent down and she was drawing an invisible line with her shoe. "Nevaeh…" Trish started.

"Yes, Mommy?"

"Look up at me."

Nevaeh slightly raised her head. "Yes?"

"Have you been telling everyone that mommy and daddy are vampires?'

"Uh-huh." She nodded.

"Why?"

"Because it's true."

Matt shook his head. "Nevaeh, could you go in the corner and play with some toys while I speak to your mommy and daddy?" Nevaeh got up and went to the corner as Matt prepared his speech. "Mr. and Mrs. Batista…"

"Ms. Stratus." Trish clarified.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Mr. Batista and Ms. Stratus, I'm a little concerned with Nevaeh's imagination. Is everything alright at home?"

Trish and Dave looked at each other. "Yes, everything is fine. Why do you ask?" Trish asked.

"Well, usually when a child has an overactive imagination, it is because there are problems at home she doesn't want to face." Matt nodded.

"There are no problems at home." Dave reiterated.

"Has Nevaeh ever asked why Mommy and Daddy aren't married?" Matt questioned.

Dave and Trish looked at each other. "Not really, no." Trish shook her head.

"That could be root of her bad behavior…" Matt said condescendingly.

"Bad behavior?" Dave questioned. "She's just been telling her friends we're vampires. She's not acting out."

"I know it's a bitter pill to swallow but maybe if you have a more stable home environment, Nevaeh would perform better in school and she would stop all these silly fantasies." Matt grinned.

As Matt kept talking, Dave and Trish felt a boiling anger rise in both of them. It was only a matter of time before Matt was going to meet the same fate as their other victims. _Do you want to finish him off? _Trish asked Dave through telepathy.

_Meh, I'll let you do it. I think I need to talk with our daughter. _

_Alright. _

_Honey?_

_Yes?_

_No sex._

_Pssh…you're no fun._

_I know. I'm no fun. _

_Fuddy-duddy._

_That's it. I'm a fuddy-duddy. _

"I'm going to have you and Trish talk." Dave said to Matt. He then turned to Trish. "Nevaeh and I are going to wait in the truck, honey."

"Okay." Trish smiled as she watched them leave. She then turned her attention to Matt. She unbuttoned her blouse and walked over to him. She then straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So what's the real problem here?"


	40. To Be Continued

_Author's Note: Here is part two of the epilogue. Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. I have a few other stories in the works, so I hope to start the sequel soon. Thank you for supporting me and this story! It is very much appreciated!_

_---------------------------_

"Mrs. Batista!" Matt said.

Trish tore open Matt's shirt. She smoothed her hands over his chest. "Ms. Stratus." Trish cooed.

"Ms. Stratus…um…your husband…"

She began to unbuckle his belt. "Boyfriend." She corrected.

"Boyfriend is a really big man." Matt said as Trish started to kiss his neck. "And he's really big and uh….he's…oh wow…"

Trish smiled as she shook her head. "He's not here." She then leaned forward and opened her mouth. Her fangs were ready for blood. "Now just relax. This might hurt a little bit…"

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While Trish was seducing Matt, Dave and Nevaeh waited in their SUV. Nevaeh put her arm on the car door and leaned on it. She looked out the window and sighed as she worried her fate. There is no mistake she was in big trouble. "Nevaeh…" Dave started. "What have you been doing?"

"Telling the truth." She mumbled.

"Honey…"

"It's true, Daddy!" She defended. "You and Mommy and Nitro and London and Melina and Taker and Rock and Steffie are vampires!" Nevaeh pouted.

"Yes, we are but honey, not everyone needs to know that." Dave said.

"But why not?" Nevaeh whined.

"Because we're family, honey. Sometimes things have to stay between family. Now you can tell your friends that Daddy teaches for a living and Mommy stays at home."

Nevaeh folded her arms. "That's boring!"

"Yeah, I know, but that's also the truth."

Nevaeh let out a deep sigh. "You're no fair."

"Yeah, I know. Daddy's not fair."

"Fuddy-duddy!" She yelled.

"Yeah, I know. Daddy's a fuddy-duddy."

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Moments later, Trish entered the SUV. She was smiling. She buckled up and nodded to Dave. "Problem solved."

Dave started up the SUV and proceeded to drive. "I hope you didn't kill him."

"No, I just erased his memory about what happened today and any problems he's had with Nevaeh." Trish pulled down the passenger's mirror to check her face for any signs of blood. "No more parent-conference meetings."

"What did you do?" Dave asked.

"Huh?" She replied innocently.

"What did you do?" He repeated.

"I just did what I normally do." Trish shrugged.

Dave shot a look at Trish and decided to integrate his telepathy skills. _Did you fuck him?_

_What? Of course not!_

_Alright. _

_Well, I might have given him a hand job._

_You might have?_

_Something like that. _

_Something like that? _

_But nothing more. _

_Mmm hmm. And what did he do to you?_

_Huh?_

_Trisha…_

_Well, he might have felt me up a little. _

Dave slammed on the brakes and made a sharp U-turn. "What are you doing?" Trish yelled.

Dave began swerving, barely missing other cars on the road. "I'm going to kill the bastard."

------------------------------------------------

Later that night….

After a long night of mercy killing, Taker pulled up to the mansion. Besides London, Taker was definitely Nevaeh's favorite person. Every night, he would tell her a story about someone he killed before he read her a conventional bedtime story like Goldilocks and The Three Bears. He even did the voices for the characters. The other Family members were amazed how Taker softened around the little girl. A vampire who normally did not have mercy on the souls he took, was often found having tea parties with Nevaeh.

He turned off his bike when he was greeted by an overly-excited Nevaeh. "Taker's here!" She ran to him.

"Hey princess!" Taker smiled. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Uh-huh, but I wanted you to tuck me in!" She smiled.

Taker got off his bike and picked up the little girl. When he entered the home, he found Dave and Trish on the couch barely keeping their eyes open. "She…waited…up…for…you." Dave said between yawns.

"Damn, you're getting old." Taker shook his head. "I'll put little one to bed now."

"Good…night." Trish sad as she fell asleep.

Upstairs, Taker put Nevaeh to bed. She got inside the sheets and watched as Taker chose a bedtime story to tell her. He then walked back to her bed and sat on the end. Nevaeh snuggled up to Taker as he flipped through the pages. "What story are you going to tell me tonight, Uncle Taker?"

"Hmm…" He pondered. "I don't know. What about Cinderella?"

"No, not that story!" She yawned. "I want to hear the other ones!"

"What other ones are you talking about?" Taker teased. "There's the Little Mermaid."

"No, not that one!" Nevaeh said. "The other ones!"

Taker smiled but continued to tease the little girl. "Hmm…there's Snow White."

"No, not that one!" Nevaeh giggled. "The ones about you killing people!"

"Oh, those stories." Taker smiled. "Well, let's see…" He thought for a second. "What about the story I destroyed 30 men at a time…."

--------------------------------------------------

During the night, Nevaeh got out of her bed and walked to London's room. She knocked on his coffin. "London…" She whispered. "Are you in there?"

London removed the lid slightly. He was watching porn on his new iPod. "Hey there, princess. What's up?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight? I'm scared."

"What about your mommy and daddy?"

"They're out drinking blood." She shrugged. "Can I sleep here?"

"Sure." London moved slightly and Nevaeh climbed inside. He then covered them both with sheets. "Comfortable there, Princess?"

"Uh-huh." Nevaeh yawned. "Good night, London."

"Good-night."

As it was, that action would become standard between London and Nevaeh. She would be tucked in by Taker, then later get inside London's coffin to sleep. It was something that continued well into her teens. But one morning, the simple action would have disastrous consequences.

Nevaeh was cuddled next to London in his bed. He still slept in the casket but when Nevaeh spent the night with him, they often slept in the bed together. His arms were wrapped around her body. He yawned slightly as he kissed her forehead. He sensed the other Family members surrounding them. "Good morning, Dave." London nodded as his eyes were still closed.

Suddenly, his eyes flew open as did Nevaeh's. They both quickly covered their naked bodies with the sheets as Dave and Trish stared down at them. "Is there a reason why you both are naked?" Dave asked.

London and Nevaeh grimaced. "We can explain. Really, we can."


End file.
